


Prisoner of War

by TC_Stark



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Cheating, Comfort, Denial, F/M, Hurt, Love Triangle, Manipulation, Pain, Rejection, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-13
Updated: 2015-08-13
Packaged: 2018-04-14 13:36:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 14
Words: 33,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4566567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TC_Stark/pseuds/TC_Stark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Both had smeared their walls with blood. One looks for redemption while the other accepts their true nature. He will look to grab hold of her and tear away the mask. To show her who she really is, no matter the cost. After all what's wrong with mischief?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Another story I've moved from Fanfiction to AO3, this takes place after the first Avengers movie. Natasha tries at a normal life with Steve. Who wouldn't? He's nice, honorable, and just the right about of righteous to redeem her. But, Loki knows who she really is and he won't rest until he's made her exactly the monster she's always been.

_They are a part of you...and they will never go away.- Loki, The Avengers._

Loki's words filled Natasha Romanoff's head as she kicked at a punching bag in SHIELD's gym. Although the God of Mishief had destroyed one of their headquarters, the organization had many and was working on rebuilding itself. In the mean time she relocated to another in order to keep her body in shape. They may have gotten lucky by defeating the monsters Loki had brought into their world, but that didn't mean she was going to let her guard down.

She was right when she said her and Agent Barton had never trained for something like what had just happened before. In their field, they were considered god-like. SHIELD had never seen agents with such talent as Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton. Their abilities were unmatched to anyone and were considered legends as Black Widow and Hawkeye.

That was until they had met actual gods. Compared to the powers of Thor and Loki they were just weak humans. And when Steve Rogers was awaken from his frozen slumber, they were reminded what a superhuman really looked like. Sure, she had been able to keep up and thought she had even proved her worth, but she didn't feel worthy.

After years of mental training, she was angry that Loki was able to get into her head so easily. She may have been able to play it off like it was all a part of her plan, but he really had crawled in there. People had tried to talk about her past with her before and it had never affected her this much. Why did some trickster with brother issues bother her this much?

Sensing someone coming closer, Natasha stopped while keeping her eyes forward, "Weren't you here earlier?"

"Keeping your eye on me, Miss Romanoff?"

The former Russian spy turned to see America's first superhero walking towards her. Steve Rogers had pretty much gone on with life the same way he had before Loki had attacked Earth. Captain America had been the nation's most beloved symbol during his time and because of his dedication to his country he had missed out on his entire life. SHIELD felt a responsibility in helping him cope with the new world, providing him with an apartment and helping him slowly learn about new technology.

Her stance was firm and confident, "It's director Fury's orders."

"And you never go against orders, do you?"

Holding her hands behind her back, she nodded, "It's my job."

Steve nodded as he walked past the agent to hang a punching bag from the ceiling before opening his duffel bag. She watched as he wrapped his hands, asking, "Have you been watching the news?"

Chuckling, the captain nodded, "It's like I'm back in my time. Kids wearing the costume and running around with garage pale lids, pretending their shields. Did you know they made toys out of us?"

"Mine makes me looks like one of those tacky troll dolls with the bright red hair." She scoffed.

Natasha was too busy being disgusted to notice the confusion on the first avenger's face. When she finally did notice, she simply explained, "They're awful looking dolls."

"Don't worry, I'm sure Dr. Banner isn't too happy about his."

The agent nodded as she turned to head out the door. Steve stared down at his hands for a moment before running after her, "Miss Romanoff?"

The redhead stopped in her tracks, turning to correct him, "Please, call me Natasha."

"Natasha," He nodded before hesitantly starting to talk, "You know...all I really ever see you do is work out and walk around SHIELD."

Raising an eyebrow, she replied, "It's my job."

"Yea, but...don't you do anything else?"

"I sleep."

Steve let out a small laugh before pointing out, "Wow, sounds like what I do. It's like you've also been frozen for 70 years."

Not knowing where he was heading, Natasha folded her arms and tilted her head, "Steve, what are you talking about?"

"I was just thinking," He scratched the back of his head before sighing, "Maybe we could explore together?"

"Excuse me?"

"Would you like to go out to dinner with me?"

At this she was truly stunned. For a moment she could have sworn she had become deaf, her ears filled with white noise. Upon seeing him still stand before her, she blinked her eyes, "I-I'm sorry?"

Surely he had known this would be the reaction he would receive. Still, he would have kicked himself for not trying. He owed it to Peggy to at least try, "I know...it's pathetic. But, I took a shot. I just figured we're both sort of oblivious to the outside world and thought we could figure it out together. At least for one night."

Natasha stared at him for a moment warily. Instead of being stunned, she was now on guard. Her arms folded again as she observed him. There was no arguing that Steve Rogers was one good looking man. Not only was his physique attractive, but it was almost cute how nervous he was around women. She could tell right away how hesitant he was to fight alongside a woman.

Still, the agent was not a woman who gave into her animal instincts. Steve had proposed dinner, a sentiment that wasn't often thrown her way. When she was forced to go undercover for SHIELD, she got a lot of offers. Though, they usually were just sexual ones, which she simply rolled her eyes at and pushed away. Stupid men. And when people knew who she really was, she was far too intimidating to be even thought of as a romantic interest.

Eying him up and down, she cautiously asked, "What are your intentions?"

"Ugh," Stunned, Steve gulped, "N-Nothing bad. Just dinner. Maybe a walk even. That's weird, huh? I messed up, didn't I?"

"No," She shook her head, "Tomorrow night. Casual. Nowhere fancy."

Mouth hanging open, the super soldier asked, "Seriously?"

"I don't want to rethink my decision, captain."

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

 

Time may have gone by, but Loki could still feel the aches of pain surge through his body as the Hulk threw him around like a rag doll. How did he, the God of Mischief; become so mocked at? How did someone who was far more superior both intelligently and cunningly be bested by a group of freaks? By the misfits?

It was only ironic that he, an outcast himself; would made a fool of by outsiders. It was all wrong. He was suppose to show everyone who he really was and finally gain the respect he deserved. It was those damn alien's fault. Everything had happened too fast. They rushed everything so stupidly. If he had been on his own he could have accomplished it. He should have known better than to work with a group of mongrels.

Thor had taken him back to Asgard in cuffs, showing him off while walking him through the palace. His mouth covered so as not to make remarks at all the staring Asgardians. How could they stare at him like that? The Loki they had known for their whole life, proving he had never meant a damn thing to any of them.

The pitying must have been the worst. The way Thor and Odin looked upon him, pitying his soul. Feeling sorry for the torment he felt every day. Sorry that he had to live with all the pain and despair bottled up inside of him. The looks were you're still a part of me and I will save you. They couldn't save him, none of them could. He was just a lie, a big lie. A joke. A souvenir in exchange for the hope of peace.

Couldn't they see? They would never be at peace. Loki needed a way back into power. He needed to assert himself in some way, not caring what it was. Those fools thought they could repress himself with some useless restraints. For now he would humor them, take the time to figure out his next course of action. This time he would do it the right way. His way.


	2. Chapter Two

It had rained that day. It had rained hard. News reporters apologized for the inconvenience as they interviewed civilians who weren't too happy. It may have started to die down as the day went on, but people weren't happy that their prior outside plans had to be canceled. They had predicted beautiful weather; it had been far from it.

Natasha didn't mind. There was something so calming about the sound of the rain banging against the walls. The room hummed gently inside as it hit the walls outside chaotically. It was a nice distraction from what was plaguing her mind as of late. It stopped her from running Loki's words through her mind and gave her some peace.

Only some. The rain might have been a soothing sound if she hadn't had a new problem. For some reason she had agreed to go on the proposed date with Captain Steve Rogers. She hadn't the slightest idea of how it was going to go. What were they even going to talk about? For as long as she could remember, the only conversation she had with people was business related.

"You know that kind of day dreaming will get you killed."

Clint Barton was right. She shouldn't have allowed herself to become so distracted. Turning to see Hawkeye nearing her, she softened her stance a little. The two agents had fought alongside each other for years and there was no need to keep her guard up around him. The two had continued their work for SHIELD after Loki was brought back to Asgard; the incident just another mission.

Clint was now in her proximity as he asked, "What's bothering you?"

Not wanting to reveal her date to her fellow warrior, she replied, "Nothing."

Seeing that she wasn't going to reveal anymore information, he took it upon himself to talk, "Fury's taking the heat for going against the board's decision."

"It was the right decision."

"Believe me, I didn't feel like getting blown up that day."

Natasha couldn't help, but let out a small smirk while nodding. There was always going to be a level of mutual respect between the two and there wasn't a need to converse all the time. Hawkeye's phone soon started to beep and it seemed it was his time to be sent off on another mission. The two assassins nodded to each other before going their separate ways.

* * *

 

Loki was lying on the stone slab he had called a bed since his return to Asgard. During his time in lock up, he was provided a pillow. It had been placed under his head during his sleep and according to one of the guards it was Odin who had done it. How sweet. Having a pillow didn't take away from the fact he was trapped in a cell.

"I know you're not sleeping."

He smirked. Slowly his green eyes opened and turned to see Thor standing on the other side of the cell. His amusement grew as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed while pointing out, "Then you know me very well."

"I thought I did."

"What's wrong, Thor? Things not going the way you planned?"

The God of Thunder frowned while scolding, "Stop with your mind games, Loki, and talk to me like a real man."

The brothers stared at each other before Loki began to slowly stand up, leaning his shoulders back. The silence was deafening, the sorcerer not even making a sound as he stepped closer. Tilting his head, the raven haired male asked, "Did you visit Jane during your stay on Earth?"

"No," Thor replied grimly, "She had to be relocated after you took Erik Selvig."

Loki shook his head while folding his arms, "Such a shame you couldn't rekindle your love, even for just a night."

Clenching his fists, Thor reprimanded, "I will not have you playing mind games with me, Loki. We are brothers. I do not care about the literal sense of the word, you are my brother. I brought you back here with me because here you wouldn't be executed. The Allfather and I love you despite of what you did. We want to help. I want to help. I love you...and I know you love me too."

A burning sensation coursed through his body, clenching his fists. The Allfather loved him. How could Thor say that when it was Odin who caused Loki to let go? He was hanging above a dark abyss that for all the three knew meant death. Odin had the audacity to stare him in the eyes and deny him. Did he think Loki would have just accepted that, gone up, and hugged his father? He let go with the intention of killing himself because a simple no.

Though, as angry as he would he couldn't deny that even to this day he loved Thor and Odin. Despite being Laufey's son...they were still his family. Letting out a sigh, Loki continued, "Be that as it may, when will I be getting out of this cell?"

"That's not my decision to make," Thor frowned, "But, knowing you I'm sure you could have escaped by now. Why have you played nice?"

"For now it's working for me."

Frowning, the older one softened his words, "I want us to be a family again."

Loki's lips tightened as he gazed into his brother's eyes, asking, "Why are you still here? After all I've done?"

"Because you're my brother and I love you."

"I'm tired," The sorcerer sighed, not wanting his mind tugged at any longer. He was already torn inside and didn't need Thor making it worse, "Please leave."

* * *

 

The rain had pretty much subsided by the time of her date. Though it smelt of rain and had cooled the temperature outside. Natasha had agreed to go to a steakhouse in Brooklyn where Steve Rogers had grown up. It was actually nice how sentimental the notion of having dinner in his old neighborhood was. It showed that the captain hadn't made himself cold to his past unlike she had.

He had wanted to pick her up on his motorcycle, but she wasn't comfortable with that. Rather she opted to meet him there. He didn't seem too disappointed by her refusal, pretty much accepting whatever she said. It was odd how he was relying on her to know what to do when it came to dates. Little did he know how inexperienced she was as well.

Natasha had shown up wearing a simple black dress that ended just above her knees along with a pair of patten leather black heels. The cool air pricked at her skin, though she didn't mind. The sensation reminded her that she was in fact alive. Despite all those she had killed, the assassin was in fact a living being.

Steve Rogers was waiting for her outside the small restaurant, looking particularly nervous. He was dressed in a green checkered button down shirt tucked into his beige slacks. As she closed in the distance between them, she took a moment to observe how he was standing. His hands were shoved into his pockets, his head tilted downwards, and his right foot was tapping. He looked like a boy going on his first date rather than America's greatest soldier.

The redhead was happy to see that he wasn't holding a bouquet of flowers, impressed he knew her well enough to know she wouldn't like the sentiment. Although she was a trained assassin and was able to make herself silent, she decided to allow her heels to click against the ground. The sound alerted Steve into knowing she was approaching, his lips twitching up and down.

"This is a nice neighborhood." She pointed out.

Taking a moment to observe his surroundings, he nodded, "It use to be nicer. But...I still feel like I'm home. I ugh...its pretty packed in there. Is that ok?"

"It's fine."

Steve nodded a little too hastily as he jetted towards the door. Natasha waited for him to open the door, standing still to wait for him to walk in. Instead he took a step back and held the door open for her, a gesture she could have sworn had died long ago. It took her a moment to realize he was waiting for her, moving towards the inside.

Despite it being crowded, they were seated almost immediately in a corner table. Natasha was happy to be away from the brunt of customers, secluded away from them. This way the only people they had to talk to were each other and the waiters. It wasn't long before the two were ordering drinks, knowing they were going to need them.

"This is your first date, isn't it?"

The bourbon he had been drinking suddenly got caught in his windpipe, coughing in attempt to free the liquid. After catching his breathe, his eyes shot up to hers. Her face was still, no judgment. After taking a deep breath, he replied, "Yes. I was suppose to have one...before this whole mess. But, I'm sure you know what happened."

"It's ok," She offered a small smile after taking a sip of her dry vodka martini, "I can't remember my last date."

"You've been an assassin for a while, haven't you?"

"Since I can remember."

Steve took a moment to look at her before pointing out, "But, you're so young."

Giving a small smirk, Natasha explained, "Where I come from they recruited their spies young. What did you want to be when you were younger?"

She noticed him taking a moment to think, observing it must have been a while since the captain had thought about his childhood. He finally cracked a smile before replying, "An illustrator. I loved comic books. I was always doodling in school, my mom said I had a real knack for it."

"Wow. Imagine if America's first superhero had gone on to become America's greatest comic book illustrator."

Steve laughed, "I don't think I was that talented. What did you want to be when you were young?"

Natasha took a moment, seeing the man across from her waiting patiently. She could have sworn a good minute had passed before relying, "I forgot."

The captain offered her a small frown, though tried to hide this as he knew Natasha would never accept any form of pity. Their meals were placed in front of him as she took in the savory aroma of her steak. The food at SHIELD was less than appetizing, forgetting when was the last time she was able to sit down for a nice meal.

"Tell me about her."

It was in the middle of small talk that Natasha blurted out the question. Her eyes were fixed on her steak, but his gaze was on her, "Who?"

"You said you were suppose to go on a date," She explained while popping a piece of steak in her mouth before looking up at him, "So, who was she?"

Who was she. Did he even remember? Of course. Steve's eyes closed as he could clearly see her. His eyes opened to look at Natasha, weakly smiling, "Peggy. Peggy Carter. She was a ugh...British soldier who helped me become what I am today," His gaze looked away in almost a trance like manner, "She was suppose to take me dancing. I have no idea how to dance, I'm pretty sure I have two left feet."

Natasha blinked a few times. Captain Steve Rogers seemed like such an innocent soul it was hard to believe he had demons. There certainly weren't the same she had, but it was clear he was holding something dark within. It made her almost speechless, not entirely sure what to say other than, "I'm sorry."

"It's ok," He smiled, picking himself back up, "I just hope she had a good life."

"I'm sure she did." She hadn't the slightest idea why she said that. There was no way she could tell what had gone out in this unknown woman's life, but in that moment she felt like telling Steve fables rather than reality.

The bill soon came as Steve reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet and pay. Once the check was paid for, Natasha found herself asking, "Would you like to go on that walk?"

"Really?"

The boyish grin on his face made her smile, trying her best to hide her amusement. It was like a little boy who had gotten his baseball autographed by his favorite player. They had stepped out into the now dark neighborhood, only lit by the open businesses around them. Steve had felt bad that he hadn't brought a jacket for her to wear, but she had reassured him the cool air didn't bother her.

For someone's first date she had to say he was doing very well. He was being for lack of better words; a gentleman. The concept seemed so foreign, but she needed to remember the era he was from. Back in his day men courted women, took them out of nice dates before making a move. That concept was so unheard of. His style was something she had seen in movies, but never thought she would experience the treatment in real life.

The walked along the streets before passing a local bar. The glass doors were open and party goers were drinking both inside and out of the bar. Music pulsed loudly throughout the place, filling the block. Natasha could see the confused looked on Steve's face as he asked, "What's that noise?"

"It's called music."

Giving an even more disgusted look, the captain turned towards the agent and exclaimed, "That's music! How do you even dance to that?"

Natasha couldn't help, but laugh, "You don't want to see, it's not a pretty sight."

Shaking his head, he looked to be in disbelief, "Things have certainly changed."

It was getting late as Steve turned to the agent, "So...can I give you a ride home?" He asked nervously while scratching the back of his head.

She had to give it a thought. She had insisted on arriving to the restaurant herself, wanting to distance herself a little. But, it had been a nicer evening than she thought it could have been and had seen a different side of the soldier. Her eyes observed him for a moment, trying to take in his body language. People underestimated the power of body language; her being able to tell whether or he had bad intentions.

"You're just giving me a ride home."

"Of course," He nodded, as if not believing she thought he intended something fresh, "


	3. Chapter Three

It was cold. Not the cell. Not the slab. Not the pillow. Not his clothes.

Loki was cold. Perhaps it should have been expected from someone who was a Frost Giant. The thought of being the monster mothers warned their children about only came to mind every once and a while. Only when a chill ran throughout his spine, making him shiver. It could have been a coincidence since normally he was so accustomed to the cold. Still, the constant coldness within him served as a reminder of who he really was.

Peering around his cell, the God of Mischief sighed. He missed his bed. As a prince he had been provided with a grand bedroom with a bed fit for a god. As much as he didn't care for materialistic objects, he missed his bed. The comfort of his mattress under his back offered some soothing sensation that at times he desperately needed.

These confinement wouldn't do for much longer. There was only so much he could take before going mad. It wasn't his first time being locked up, but in the past he had a plan. A scheme that made him not mind being locked up since he knew there was a way out. Of course there was a way out now, but he wasn't sure what to do. It was too soon to attack again and if he did it so hastily it would surely fail. And he certainly couldn't roam around Asgard as if nothing had happened.

And if he had escaped to Earth, Thor would go out in search for him. That was if The Avengers didn't find him first. He wondered if his brother would go down to Midgard to visit the mortal. He couldn't understand the Thunder God's infatuation with the scientist. Loki despised her. If it wasn't for her, perhaps they could have destroyed Jotunheim together and the BiFrost would still be around. No, rather he was blind-sighted by a woman.

There had only been one woman had truly caught his eye. Ah, Lady Sif. He sighed. From an early age Loki had wanted her to be his. He admired her going against her female nature and become a warrior. She was fierce and challenged him. Despite the bantering the two had often gotten into growing up, he was for the lack of better words, obsessed.

Sif's sights had been on another though. Thor. Of course it was his older brother. Women swooned over his handsome looks, beautiful features, and boyish charm. Sif may have wanted to set herself apart, but when it came to crushes she was no different. Loki was pretty sure every woman in Asgard wanted Thor. Because of Sif being determined to prove herself as a warrior, she became even closer too Thor. He was sure this was a ploy to become closer to the future king.

That was why he needed to turn her golden locks, black. At first she may have been angry, but it suited her. Loki smirked, knowing that forever a part of him would be with her. If they were on Earth she could have easily dyed her hair back to its former color, but luckily in that case there was no such thing.

Suddenly a different female flashed before his mind. During his stay on Earth, a member of their little freak group intrigued him. Natasha Romanoff was a little devious one as well. He had heard about the things she had done, yet she was trying to convince herself she wasn't a monster by working for SHIELD. She had even made him believe she was truly upset by his words, only having been a ploy to get information.

Loki smirked, what a curious little creature. He may have been locked up, but that didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun. It occurred to him what would happen if he probed into her dark past even more. He wondered if she would keep that stone wall face of hers or break down like he wanted. Oh yes, this was going to be fun.

* * *

 

"God damn it."

Natasha had walked into the meeting room of the SHIELD headquarter, seeing Nick Fury staring at a holographic screen in front of him. She took a moment to see what we was watching; apparently Tony Stark was milking the publicity for all he could. It didn't surprise her that he was signing autographs and on the covers of all the magazines. The world already knew he was Iron Man, so he didn't care about making his contributions known.

Folding her arms, she observed, "Stark's gone off the deep end?"

"He's making a fool of himself, more then usual."

Nick may have been scowling, but she was less then surprised, "We've known about his narcissistic attitude from day one."

"Yes, but this isn't the kind of publicity we need right now. New York is still rebuilding itself and we're getting heat for it. Yes, a lot are happy, but a lot are mad. People think we're the cause of this and he's not helping."

"So, what do you want me to do?"

Trying to take a moment to calm down, he stood up straight, "I need you to go there and talk some sense into him. Where's Agent Barton?"

"You sent him on a mission to Somalia."

"Right," Nick nodded, "You'll need backup for this one."

Natasha rolled her eyes. He was just a man. But, it wasn't in her nature to go against her boss's decision and it seemed all too convenient that in that moment Steve Rogers walked through the door. She had to guess he had just worked out considering his attire. He shot her a genuine smile, to which she returned after knowing Fury wasn't looking.

"Rogers, get dressed. You're going with Agent Romanoff."

Steve raised his eyebrow, asking, "Has there been another attack."

"Hardly," The female agent scoffed, "Stark's being a fool and we need to slap sense into him."

The captain gave an even more confused face, pointing out, "Hardly seems like a need for two of us to go."

Nick nodded in agreement, before countering, "Yes, but as you know Stark's attention span is very short. He'll hopefully pay attention with you there."

It wouldn't be an over exaggeration to say Rogers and Stark hadn't the best relationship. They may have fought alongside each other, but he certainly doubted the billionaire's attitude had changed. That wasn't the issue though. He felt uncomfortable that Nick Fury felt the need to send him along with Natasha. They may have gone on a date, but he didn't want her feeling inadequate because she was a woman. She could probably even kick his ass.

Nick sent them off without a second thought; Natasha taking the initiative to walk out first. Steve quickly followed and asked once they were out of the director's sight, "Aren't you offended?"

Knowing what he was asking about, she shrugged, "I've dealt with Stark before. I can handle myself. But, I'm not one to go against Director Fury's orders."

"Well, as long as you're not mad at me."

Natasha rolled her eyes, scolding, "Don't over think it."

The captain couldn't help, but scratch the back of his neck with a nervous laugh, "Can't help it."

"Don't worry." She smiled.

* * *

 

Tony Stark twirled an Iron Man action figure in his hand, while sitting in his downstairs office. He stared at the toy in a bored manner, while speaking, "Pepper, this is what I'm thinking. The doll needs to look more like...more like me."

Pepper Potts rolled her eyes and folded her arms, leaning against one of the tables, "I don't think this is such a good idea."

"How could it not be a good idea?" The billionaire gawked, "I'm promoting myself. This way the world really knows not to mess with...well, me."

"Oh, yes. By little plastic dolls?"

He shrugged, "It's a start."

Iron Man's girlfriend rolled her eyes once more while picking herself off the table and beginning to walk away. She didn't get far though, as Tony grabbed at her hand and pulled her onto his lap. She landed with a grunt, though ultimately began to giggle, "Tony, stop. We have a lot of work to do with the development of the new towers."

"Oh, that can wait."

She laughed more as he leaned his lips into hers, entangling his hands through her orange hair. Her legs kicked up as he leaned in more, tilting her backwards. This caused her to fling her arms around his neck, trying to keep her balance. Tony may have been Iron Man, but that didn't mean he wouldn't hesitate to give her a heart attack.

In the middle of making out like two high school sweethearts, they heard someone clear their throat. They broke free from each other to see Natasha and Steve standing there. Pepper quickly jumped off Tony, who looked less then fazed, "Coming to watch? Red can stay. Sorry, captain, you may be a pretty boy, but I don't go that way."

Both women groaned as the captain clenched his fists, "You know, we wouldn't have to be here if you learned some humility in your life."

"No, sorry. Don't know what that word means."

Pepper shook her head before leaving the room, much to Tony's dismay. With the three Avengers having been left alone, he turned to the other two and groaned, "This better be good."

Folding her arms, Natasha commanded, "You're going to stop this ridiculous charade. As you loved to point out, you are a billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist. Do you-"

"Genius," He pointed out, "Don't forget genius."

Tony quickly retreated back into his chair once Natasha shot him a glare, "Don't you have enough income and publicity? You don't need to make a fool out of yourself."

"And us," Steve interjected, "You're making us seem like a joke. Like a bunch of freaks running around in spandex."

At this he stood up while explaining, "No, see, you're the one running around in spandex. I wear a technologically advanced suit of armor."

Tightening his lips, he sneered, "It's not made out of spandex."

"Whatever," Tony brushed this off while explaining, "Listen, I am who I am. Let's not forget whose the one who saved the city from being blown up?"

Natasha could see Steve was becoming mad as she stepped closer, "Director Fury does not want this kind of attention so close after the attack. You do what you want with your image, but not while it concerns the Avengers operation."

Tony chuckled as he stepped closer to the agent, "Miss Romanoff, I understand we haven't had the best relationship. But, I think I know a way we can become closer and bond very well."

The captain was about to become angry, but was interrupted by Natasha quickly twisting Stark's arm behind his back. In a matter of a few moves the billionaire was rendered to his knees. While keeping her grip on his wrist right, she leaned into his ear while calmly instructing, "You're going to listen and lay low. I don't need to be sent out on this meaningless missions. I wasn't a Russian spy for anything."

"Alright, I get it. No more toys, Russian, blah, blah, blah."

Steve hid his smirk as she let go of his wrist. Tony quickly scrambled up to his feet before patting his suit off, and trying to regain composure. Natasha looked less than amused with her arms folded. Breathing out a sigh, he offered, "Well, now that that's taken care of, anyone care for a drink?"

"Goodbye, Mr. Stark."

Tony nodded while lazily saluting towards Steve, "See ya, captain."

Natasha had already made her way out as Steve ran to catch up with her. That was for the lack of better words, a waste of time. Director Fury must have really been bored that he would sent out two Avengers to simply reprimand another. Tony Stark may have been a difficult person, but he certainly didn't need the two of them there to give him a spanking.

She didn't seem to mind though. It was a good excuse to get out of the SHIELD headquarters and away from all the drama. The world may have been safe for the moment, but Fury was still getting a lot of heat. The board still wasn't completely sold of the Avengers operation. They were a group of outsiders and had powers the world hadn't seen before. They feared this group wouldn't be able to be controlled. Not to mention the kind of threats that would emerge as a result.

Steve let out a sigh as he looked over, "That was a waste."

"I'm surprised he didn't put up more of a fight."

"I think you took care of that once you crippled him."

Natasha smirked almost triumphantly, "All you need to do is remind him he isn't a god."

Chuckling, the soldier tucked his hands into his pockets while asking, "So...is there anyway...maybe...I don't know..."

"Are you still having a hard time talking to me?"

Having been caught off guard, he choked a little on his own breathing. Clearing his throat, he asked more confidently, "Well, truthfully after seeing you render Iron Man helpless, I got a little caught up. Would you like to get a drink with me?"

Natasha stopped momentarily to look up at him. They had gone out on a date and it had gone great. He was a true gentleman while driving her home, not even asking to come upstairs. She knew he wanted to get to know the world with her and had to admit she was really enjoying herself. He didn't ask to move too quickly and content on moving along to her pace.

Before Steve knew what was happening, the redhead had yanked him downwards by his shirt to plant her lips on his. The kiss barely lasted a second, as soon as it had happened it was over. But, he couldn't help, but move back with shock. She was smirking while running her thumb along her lip and answering, "Sure, let's go out for a drink. Steve?"

"Yes?"

"I don't want to move fast." She was telling the truth. There was no lying she was beginning to like him, but she wasn't a fool. She wouldn't allow herself to be stupid.

The captain nodded and respectfully answered, "I just want to go for a drink."

At this, Natasha turned and hid her genuine smile.


	4. Chapter Four

Russians. Car bombs. Explosions.

Now, that was the kind of mission that got Natasha's blood pumping. Over the past two weeks, she had been busy tying up a few loose ends from her past. It was not a SHIELD mission and to be honest, a piece of cake. Her past was always chasing her. People always wanted a chance to challenge the Black Widow. Former KGB members were always seeking her. Instead of running, she stopped and seized the moment.

Upon her arrival back, she had been asked on another date by Captain Rogers. She had to admit, it was nice having someone greet her when she came back. It was a particularly nice day out, which made their ride on his motorcycle all the nicer. Rather than going on a traditional date, he opted to take her to Central Park, where the two could walk.

There was less pressure than last time. Rather than dressing up, the two wore pretty casual clothes. Even though she was wearing tight jeans and a tank top, she felt like they were on an old time date. They strolled casually through Strawberry Fields, while laughing about nothing in particular. With the sun beaming down on them, she felt like she wasn't a highly trained assassin. Like she wasn't a monster.

They were passing a playground, when Steve turned to Natasha, "It's nice to see, no matter what time, kids remain the same."

Natasha took a moment to look at the children, before wondering, "It's hard to tell, which ones will grow up to cause mayhem."

"Like Loki?"

"Thor makes it seem like they were just normal children."

Steve snorted gently, before shaking his head, "I don't know how he could still take pity on that monster."

"Me either."

The talk of the God of Mischief soon ended as they passed by a small cafe. The captain turned with a large grin, offering to buy the pair coffee. Natasha found herself smiling, while agreeing. He insisted she sit down, while he waited on line. His chivalry never ceased to amaze her, even when it was something so simple as getting her coffee.

Natasha smirked as he approached their table with two cups, "What's so funny?"

"That girl with the blonde hair hasn't stopped staring at you."

Blinking, he turned to see what Natasha was talking about, before rapidly returning his attention back to his date. His cheeks were rosy red, as he sat down, "I'm definitely not use to those kind of stares."

"You're telling me, no girl ever flirted with you after the procedure?"

Steve grinned, "I was too wrapped up in one girl to notice. I'm talking about before the procedure. You have no idea how small I was."

"Was Tony's father anything like him?"

"He was certainly an innovator. And very popular with the ladies," He thought back on his memories, "But, definitely not as arrogant."

Smirking, the agent added, "Maybe he's trying to over compensate for something."

Having been in the middle of sipping at the hot beverage, Steve began to choke. As he continued to cough, she couldn't help, but laugh at his reaction to her comment. Once his throat was cleared, he stared at her with wide eyes, "Did you really just say that?"

"I couldn't resist."

After a few more stunned blinks, the captain went back to his drink. She noticed instantly how uncomfortable he looked. She should have guessed that a man who hadn't any luck with women, would become shy over talks of anything sexual. It wasn't like she had had a great love life, but from what she had observed she clearly was the more experienced one.

Shaking those kind of thoughts from her head, Natasha picked her head back up to pay attention to what he was saying, "You know, back in my day, we thought there were going to be flying cars around this time."

"Saying back in my day makes you sound old."

Steve cracked an embarrassed smile, shrugging, "Well, I am. I don't look it, but I have a good amount of years on you."

"Did you feel anything? While you were frozen?"

"No," He shook his head, "It felt like I had been sleeping the whole time. I knew something was wrong, though; the second I woke up. SHIELD did a bad job in trying to transition me slowly into this world."

Natasha snorted, while nodding, "I had nothing to do with that."

Shrugging casually, he gave a lopsided grin. Natasha announced her desire for a bear claw before refusing to accept his money. The women of this era were much more independent than the ones during his time; a lesson he was learning more and more. Still, he felt bad that she wasn't allowing him to pay for her treat.

After finishing the fruit filled pastry, the two left the cafe. It was amazing that they were saving Manhattan from sure destruction, not too long ago. The city had made a great recovery from the attack brought on by Loki. The people walked around as if they hadn't almost been blown up. New York City really had seen it all.

They were passing a bar when the agent suggested they get a drink. It was a relatively low-key pub that was playing smooth classic rock. Since this music didn't give the soldier a headache, he agreed. The two sat themselves on two bar stools in the corner, while ordering the house beer. These kind of laid back dates were more of Natasha's style, though this time Steve insisted on paying.

"It's just beer," She explained, "You don't need to pay for everything."

"But, I want to."

The redhead turned her head quickly, trying to hide her smile. Steve had noticed it, but didn't point it out. Rather, he smiled to himself while sipping at the alcoholic beverage. After finishing the first round, Natasha went to order herself another. The money for the drink was placed on the bar counter, before her date could even reach for his wallet.

"Why did you pay?"

The beer was placed in front of her as she replied, "Because, I wanted another. Why shouldn't I pay for my own drink?"

Steve's cheeks heated up, stammering on his words, "Well, because...you know..."

"Because I'm a woman?" She smirked slyly, "You have a lot to learn about women these days."

The captain laughed gently, while ordering himself another drink. His eyes darted over to her for a moment, before turning back to the large flat screen TV hanging above the bartender. He had certainly learned quite a bit about this new world while spending time with the former Russian agent. And he had learned a lot about dating over the past few weeks.

Biting his lower lip, he turned towards her again. His stomach was turning and before he could think, he found himself leaning towards her mouth. Her lips met his, pushing up against his kiss. Unlike the first time, this had lasted a little longer than a second. Her lips moved against his to guide him along, feeling his hesitation. It may have been the second beer guiding him, but he soon found his tongue brushing against her lower lip, asking for the entrance she gladly gave.

The great thing about making out in the middle of a bar, was that other participants were too drunk to even notice. Still, the soldier felt a little embarrassed and pulled away from her. He didn't want to; the taste of her lips still lingered on his. Technically he was over seventy years old and he was kissing her as if they were teenagers.

Natasha stared at the captain before turning back to her beer. It had been so long since she had been locked into such a passionate kiss. Not to mention it was in the middle of a bar. Truthfully, she had gotten so into it, she probably would have continued if he hadn't pulled away. Breathing in a big sigh, she felt her nerves unraveling.

It wasn't long after the two finished their beers that he took her home. She could tell how nervous he was, noticing how tight he gripped onto the handle bars of his motorcycle. She wanted to be strong and show him there was nothing to be shy about. The truth was, though; she was feeling the same way. She may have been the one to first kiss him two weeks ago, but with him pursuing her lips she knew this was slowly becoming real.

His bike soon slowed down in front of the small house she lived in, shutting the bike off so they could talk. He waited for her to swing her legs off the vehicle, before scratching the back of his neck, "Listen, I-I'm really sorry about before. You know, at the bar."

"Don't be," She offered him a small smile, "We're suppose to be exploring this world together, right?"

At this, Steve laughed, "It's harder than I thought."

The sides of her lips twitched upwards into a smile, before returning to a straight line, "It's been...I can't remember the last time someone kissed me like that."

Not knowing what else to say, the captain merely smiled before thanking her. She watched as he rode away; her nerves slowly disappearing. Since as far back as she could remember, she was trained to be an unstoppable force. She had the skills to present an unreadable face to enemies and could make her steps as light as a feather. So, why did she feel like some prepubescent teen girl, who had a crush on her male teacher?

Perhaps becoming distracted with a man was weakening her. Natasha felt herself smiling uncontrollably, while entering her small house. After locking the door, she went to go flick on the light before- "Looks like someone is in love."

Shit. How could she have been so blind sighted, that she didn't even notice someone else in her house? Cautiously turning, Natasha noticed Loki sitting on her couch. The sorcerer seemed extremely laid back; resting against the furniture, while his legs were crossed casually. Unlike the last time, he wasn't wearing his Asgardian clothing. Rather, he donned mortal clothing; slick black pants, a green button down blouse, and a long black blazer.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded.

Loki couldn't resist cracking a grin, "Why, Agent Romanoff, I am simply visiting an old friend," He explained before getting up and shaking his finger at her, "And shame on you for not offering me a drink."

Natasha watched as he headed towards her kitchen, seeming to know exactly where she kept her alcohol. He must have been in her house for a while, in order to study the layout of her house. Carefully choosing her next course of action, she stepped towards the entrance, "We aren't friends."

"Of course we are," With a laugh, the god poured the two vodka, "We had that lovely chat, while I stayed with SHIELD. Though, I must say, it's refreshing to speak with you without a glass wall between us."

"How did you get here?"

Ignoring her question, Loki shoved a glass in her hand, before walking back into the living room. He took a sip of his beverage, before commenting, "So, the captain, hm? I wasn't aware you liked boy scouts. But, good for you. Good for him, actually. Poor chap probably hasn't been...oh, what's the expression...laid in a while?"

The agent returned his mocking grin with a cold glare, before staring down at her drink. She took a sip, biting back the sting of the alcohol. After letting the liquid seep down her throat, she looked back at him with a raised eyebrow, "Have you?"

Loki let out an amused laugh, "You are certainly witty, agent. Tell me, were you always like this? Or is this the wall you've built up to prevent yourself from seeing all those you've killed, every time you close your eyes?"

Natasha tightened her lips. Last time the two had spoken, she had allowed him to crawl his way inside her mind. This time, he wouldn't be so fortunate. After taking a large gulp of the alcohol, she slammed the glass down onto the coffee table before ordering, "Leave."

"Or what?" He tilted his head, while stepping closer, "Are you going to call Thor on me? Now...how do you plan on doing that?"

Narrowing her eyes, she held her ground, "He'll notice your gone."

"It wouldn't take me that long to kill you," Loki chuckled, "But, I'm not here for that. You see, Thor has no idea I'm gone. For your information, I've been quite the good boy since my return to Asgard."

After sensing her refusal to believe this, he began to stroll pass her. She moved her arm out of the way once he reached for it; a reaction that made Loki smirk. The trickster stepped towards the large mirror that hung in the middle of her living room; reaching out to touch it. The object began to ripple, altering the image from his reflection to a different scene. The mirror then became a portal, for Natasha to look through.

When she did, she found Loki laying on the stone slab in his cell, back in Asgard. Narrowing her eyes, she asked, "What is this?"

Smirking at his own work, the Frost Giant explained, "If anyone were to pass by my cell, they would see me sleeping. As you can see, my diversion is quite convincing. If someone were to wake me, I would know and jump right back in."

"So, you'd have time to launch an attack." Natasha concluded, backing away cautiously.

At this, he laughed and shook his head, "Oh, no. I've decided to take some time off. The scar on my nose just went away. I just wanted to chat with someone other than Thor. He's the only one who visits me."

"And the only one who still defended you, when we all called you crazy."

Loki paused for a moment, shaking the thoughts of his brother out of his mind, "So, you all think I'm crazy? Strange, coming from the likes of The Avengers. So, how's Agent Barton doing?"

With narrowed eyes, she commanded, "Get out."

"I may as well," He shrugged nonchalantly, looking over to the mirror. It panned out to show Odin approaching his cell. Shuddering at the thought of how their conversation would go, he spoke out loud, "I certainly don't want to miss this. Tread easy with the captain, he seems like the type, who wouldn't be able to handle your past. Until next time, Miss Romanoff."

Natasha's lips tightened as she watched him disappear. As his body began to dematerialize, his arrogant smirk was the last to go. The image burned in her mind, mocking her every time she blinked her eyes. How dare Loki mock her. Tease her for the ones she had killed in the past. How could he act as if it were all a game? Just because he enjoyed the sensation of killing others, didn't mean she did. She did what was necessary, not funny.


	5. Chapter Five

"Get up."

Loki had been lying down with his eyes closed, when Thor had addressed him. It had been a week, since he had visited Natasha. Life had continued on its boring path since then. The God of Mischief felt himself becoming antsy, yearning to go down and wreak more havoc. The former Russian spy may have been able to hide her thoughts, but he was cleaver enough to know a little bit of him had crawled into her brain.

Upon hearing his brother's voice, Loki groaned and opened his green eyes. It was obvious Thor wasn't going to leave, as the younger one raised an eyebrow, "Yes?"

"Get up," The blonde repeated, "We're going for a walk."

"Am I a dog?"

Thor's shoulders dropped, realizing his mistake, "You've been in this cell, since we've returned home. I believe you should be able to walk around the palace a little."

Tucking his arms under his head, Loki let out a sigh. It had been so long that he had grown accustomed to those four walls. The very idea of roaming through the palace he once called home was foreign to him. All those who would look upon him and judge, made him shudder. He had been receiving those looks for so long and had almost forgotten them after being thrown into the dark abyss. Why would he ever want to jump right into the torture?

"I'd rather not."

Knowing he'd refuse, the older brother sighed, "Come now, you can't lay here and die."

"This was my punishment, was it not?"

"Yes, for crimes you committed," Thor's nostrils flared as he leaned closer, "But, you are my brother. Son of Odin. And still a prince."

Loki's eyes continued to stare up at the ceiling, remembering when Odin went to visit him the other day. The conversation had been brief. Truthfully, he tried now to remain cold to the older man to hide the emotions bottled up within him. The king tried to stress his love for the boy, telling him that the king never favored Thor over him. Loki wanted to drink in his father's flood of sentiments, but he couldn't let go of the truth.

"Does father know?"

"He said as long as I was with you, it was fine."

Just great. It was bad enough that the cell was going to be his bedroom for quite some time now, but this was just plain degrading. Though, it would be nice to stretch his legs. With a groan, Loki pulled himself up off the stone slab and waited for Thor to open his cell door. Once the blonde did so and moved back, Loki walked through, while saying, "Don't forget my leash."

* * *

 

The brothers walked through some unoccupied halls, in silence. There wasn't really anything to talk about. Back when they were younger, the two could chat for hours. Mostly they spoke about the grand adventures Thor led them on. There were a few times Loki had tried to discuss his study of sorcery, but those talks had quickly been thrown to the wind. The older brother never had any interest in his studies; something that certainly bit him in the ass years later.

Loki knew from an early age that he wasn't going to turn out like Thor. As the years went on, he could see that there was no way he could reach the physical peak his brother could. While his own fighting skills were impressive by human's standards, it was weak by Asgardian. This was something he could never understand as a boy. Back then, he was under the illusion that he wasn't different. As an Asgardian, and especially one of royal blood, he was suppose to be a great warrior. As it was becoming apparent that that wasn't the case for him, he concentrated on growing his brain rather than his muscles.

"Thor, what are you doing?"

The two turned to see Sif, looking flabbergasted. Loki rolled his eyes as the female warrior approached them, "Sif, what is the meaning of this outburst?" Thor asked.

Looking quite shocked, she referred to the younger brother, "Why is Loki out?"

"Hello, to you too, Sif," He cooed, before looking her up and down, "You look stunning today."

She glared at him momentarily, before turning to Thor, who explained, "We are going for a walk. Are the princes not allowed to do so?"

Narrowing her eyes, she hissed, "You know what he's done. He should be rotting in his cell."

"Nice to see how much you care." Loki expressed.

Sif could hear the condescending tone in his voice, gritting her teeth, "You should be kissing Thor's feet. If it were me in charge, I'd have you burning at the stake."

Before the sorcerer could come back with another remark, Thor intervened, "Sif, how could you speak this way? Loki had been your friend. We all played together, do you not remember that?"

"I remember him ripping away what I thought was beautiful about myself. He turned my hair black, all because of his jealousy for you," She then darted his gaze over at Loki before spitting, "The only reason we ever tolerated you, was because of Thor."

Loki chuckled with amusement, "Oh, that hurts."

* * *

 

Her knuckles stung. Natasha couldn't count how many times she had hit the punching bag. No matter how hard and how much she had hit the bag, the image of Loki wasn't leaving her brain. Every time her eyes closed, the trickster flashed before her. His words crawled through his skin. So much so that the only way she could fathom to rid herself of him, was to beat him out of her.

The pain stung at her skin, as it broke open. She knew she was bleeding, but she couldn't stop. How dare Loki invade the one aspect of her life she thought was safe; her mind. The fact that he had broken into her home didn't surprise her. He was after all, the God of Mischief. It seemed that no matter what, he would always find a way to escape. She thought attacking him would be stupid, but she should have done it anyway. At least then, only her body would have been damaged.

"You too, huh?"

After another skin splitting hit to the bag, Natasha turned around to see Clint approaching her. She had thought the SHIELD gym would offer her solace, but apparently she was wrong. Though, the fellow assassin wasn't bad company, "What do you mean?"

Hawkeye set his duffel bag down, before wrapping his knuckles, "It's not every night anymore, but I see him too. Sometimes, when I'm sleeping, I can feel him clawing at my brain again."

The redhead looked at her companion for a moment, trying to find the right words. Her mouth felt dry and she had to run her tongue around her lips to wet them, "I have to convince myself he's not in there anymore."

"Hurting yourself isn't going to erase what happened." Clint pointed out, referring to her knuckles.

It was at this that she noticed how bad she had actually damaged them, "Shit."

"Do you ever wonder, how long you can continue building up your walls? Before they all crumble?"

Forgetting her stinging skin, Natasha lifted up her head to stare into Clint's eyes. They stood in silence, before explaining, "Mine can never fall."

The decision to invite Captain Rogers over for coffee now seemed stupid. Every time the two went out, it seemed there was a problem over who was going to pay. Natasha thought she could fix that problem, by having him over. She could hear the nervousness in his voice when she invited him. This would be the first time the two would be in a house together and she knew he wasn't sure how to act. Still, he was a gentleman and respected her want to take things slow.

Staring down at her sink, which was full of water; Natasha breathed in a sigh before plunging her hands in. Her teeth ground against each other, as the cold water stung at her open wounds. The pain surged up through her arms, engulfing her whole body. Allowing herself to become so enraged by Loki was stupid. Why was she unraveling from who she really was?

A doorbell ring interrupted her thoughts, alerting her that the captain had arrived. Shit. She cursed under breath, unplugging the drain and yanking her hands from the water. The rough texture of the towel made the pain even worse, as she dried her hands. The only good thing about tonight, was that it was casual. They were going to have coffee and talk, so there was no need to get dressed up. This was her house and she was going to wear a white tank top and black capri sweatpants.

Taking in a sigh, Natasha approached the door, before looking through the peephole. She could never risk the chance that someone from her past would come looking for her. After seeing it was indeed the American hero, she opened the door. Thankfully, Steve had dressed casually too; wearing a white T-Shirt and beige pants.

The two looked at each other, unsure of the proper protocol. With hesitation, he bent down. Natasha turned her head, so that his lips touched her cheek. She jerked back quickly, moving her lips to go for his, though he had already stood up straight. With an embarrassed smile, she moved back to let him walk in.

Also embarrassed, Steve scratched the back of his head, "So, I went to the store and bought this earlier."

She then noticed the object in his hands; a DVD. Smirking, she she took the object, "The Wizard of Oz. I've never seen it."

"Really?" He laughed, "From what I've heard, it's become a classic. What happened to your hands?"

His realization of her hurt knuckles made her feel the pain again, explaining, "I guess I hit the bag a little too hard."

"Oh."

Natasha could tell he wanted to know what happened, but she wasn't going to open up. Those were her nightmares and no matter how close the two got, she wasn't going to reveal that. Figuring it was better to drop the topic, the agent walked into her kitchen to start setting up the coffee. She didn't want Loki to ruin her evening.

Steve followed the redhead into the kitchen, striking up conversation, "Sometimes I have nightmares. I keep...remembering everything that happened. All I wanted to do was serve my country. I didn't care how. It was blessing. I was strong, popular, and I was fighting in the war. I loved it until...I had to basically tell Peggy I wasn't ever going to see her again. Now...sometimes when I close my eyes...all I can see is the water right before I hit it."

Hearing his words made her stop preparing the coffee, turning around to look at him. Her lips were pursed together, letting his words sink in. She needed to remember how damaged they all were, needing to remember it wasn't just her whose past haunted them. Still, there were parts of her she wasn't ready to open up about.

Natasha breathed in, speaking, "I can't remember a time that I wasn't being trained to be a killer."

"You're not now."

"No," She shook her head, "The lesson is over."

Steve frowned. He hadn't meant for the conversation to turn so south. Deciding to take it in a new direction, he asked, "Did SHIELD provide you this place?"

She was thankful the captain had decided to stop talking about her past. It was a subject she was all too eager to dismiss, "You're an American hero, Steve. There was no way the agency wasn't going to provide for you, once you were discovered. Howard Stark was affiliated with SHIELD, so they felt responsible."

Snorting gently, he defended, "I don't know why. I wanted to serve my country and I was willing to do anything. I was just another soldier, doing my job."

"Believe me," Natasha smirked, while grabbing their mugs and heading towards the living room, "You're not just another soldier."

The comment made Steve smile, before following her. She went to sit in a large black arm chair, as he sat down on the matching couch. He observed that although this was her house, she seemed very on edge. It was something she was trying to hide, but he noticed. He knew very little about her past, but from what he did know, she had reason to always be on her toes.

"So, would you like to watch the movie?"

Smirking coolly, she replied, "Only if you can figure out how to play it."

Blinking, his eyes darted over to her television system. There was a fair sized flat screen TV atop burgundy colored table, with several electronic boxes below. Looking back at her, he stated, "You're going to have to help me with that."

Natasha smirked playfully, picking herself up off the chair and going to set up her DVD player. As the main menu appeared on the screen, the soldier pointed out, "When my friends and I first saw this film, we thought it was the best graphics we'd ever seen."

"I just thought it was a movie about a drug trip."

At this, he laughed, "That's something I've never heard before."

"You really have missed a lot," She smirked, "What do you do in your apartment?"

Shrugging, he replied casually, "I'm really not there much. I have a TV, which I do know how to use. I read...work out...you know, Natasha, when I was first...turned into this, I had thought I was going to see the end of the war. I'd have served my country and I planned on living the American Dream. You know, the big house, with the white picket fence...kids...a dog. Do you ever think you could have that?"

"That's a sweet notion," Natasha smiled warmly, "But, once you're thrown into this life, there is no getting out."

Even though she was smiling, he couldn't help, but frown. It was heart breaking for him to think she had accepted the life handed to her. She was a great ally and a valuable member of the Avengers. Her skills were insanely impressive and probably wouldn't be as good if it wasn't for her past. Still, he couldn't imagine her accepting a life of solitude.

Although they were drinking coffee, Steve could see how tired Natasha was. It must have been exhausting, having one's guards up all the time. He wanted her to feel comfortable around him, so that she could relax if she wanted. Unfortunately, she must have not thought the movie as interesting as he did, and fell asleep on her couch.

He waited about thirty minutes after the movie, to see if she would wake. After seeing that wasn't the case, he stood up, and approached her sleeping body. As nice as the couch was, he couldn't imagine it would be comfortable to sleep on all night. After turning the TV off, he scooped Natasha's unconscious body up gently.

Since her house was only one floor, he didn't have to go far to find her bedroom. It was dark and he didn't take the time to look around. All he did was look for the bed and set her down. There was no way Steve was going to tuck into bed with her. He was pretty sure she would wake up and instantly snap his neck out of instinct. Besides, it would be rude to presume that kind of behavior was acceptable.

Still, there was no way he wanted her to wake up alone. It would show he was ungrateful of being invited into her home; a notion he was sure she never offered others. There was no guest bedroom, so Steve decided the couch would do. As he eased his body onto the black furniture, he wondered who the real Natasha Romanoff was?


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lemon ahead!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lemon ahead!

_"I won't touch Barton! Not until I make him kill you. Slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear. And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams I'll split his skull! This is my bargain, you mewling quim!" - Loki, The Avengers._

Red. Red flooded her vision. It had been years since she had these kind of visions. Years since she could hear the screams of those she had killed. After every death, she created another hardened layer to surround her. This was her job, her wiring. How could she go against what had become her very nature? A killer. The Black Widow.

It wasn't Drakoff's daughter. It wasn't Sao Paulo. And it wasn't the hospital fire. It was Loki. The God of Mischief and Lies stood before her, laughing. Mocking her despair and her attempts to become what she secretively always wanted to be. Human. Something more than a monster. He didn't want that. Rather, he wanted to open her up and feel every painful memory. Every pang of regret and self-hatred.

Natasha's eyes flew open. They darted over to the digital clock near her bed; 7:15. It may have been early, but her nightmare felt as if it had lasted an eternity. 7:15 couldn't have come any sooner. Though, it was hardly a relief. The image of Loki laughing in her face still appeared before her. She was panting and clutching her pillow tight.

Quickly whipping around, she confirmed she was alone in her bed. Somehow she thought Loki would have been there. There was no way he'd kill her in her sleep. He would want to see the look in her eyes as he took her life. She was trained to be cold and fear nothing, yet it seemed all too often she woke with a cold sweat.

After relaxing, she remembered Steve had been over the night before. She felt terrible now for falling asleep. It was rude to have invited someone over, to then fall asleep. The agent couldn't blame him for leaving...though, how did she get in her bed? Natasha raised her eyebrow, wondering how she had gone from the couch to her room? Had she roamed in, during her half-unconscious state?

Picking herself up from her bed, her feet touched the cool floor gingerly. With her eyes darting all over the room, her hand reached in between the mattresses to pull out a small gun. A firearm would do little to help her against a god, but would offer a distraction until she got her hands on him. Holding the pistol behind her back, she escaped her room.

When she did step into her living room, Natasha found an odd sight. Steve Rogers was laying on her couch, watching early morning cartoons. The Looney Tunes. Furrowing her brows slightly, the redhead placed the gun gently on a nearby desk. She was thankful her skills were still polished enough, to allow her to move undetected.

"What are you doing here?"

The sound of her voice surprised the captain, causing him to jump up nervously. With his heart pounding hard in his chest, he gulped, "G-Good morning, Natasha."

She nodded her head slightly, before referring to her couch, "Did you sleep here all night?"

"Well, um, yes," He scratched the back of his head, "I-I'm sorry. It's just, I didn't want you to think I was rude by just leaving. And I wasn't going to impose by sleeping in your bed. I'm sorry, was I wrong?"

"So, you brought me into my bedroom?"

"Yes?"

"And you didn't try anything?" She raised her eyebrow.

Steve looked at her wide-eyed, his mouth agape, "What? No. I just didn't want you to sleep on the couch. No offense, but it isn't the most comfortable thing to sleep on."

At this, she smiled. His undying chivalry touched her. It had been so long since she had even entertained the idea of a man. If they weren't intimidated by her strong presence, they only saw her as a sexual object. Like Tony Stark. She knew from the moment she was presented with the case, he was going to try and pursue her. She saw the desire in his eyes, he practically stank with lust. He may have been with Pepper Potts, but old habits didn't die hard. If Natasha had offered herself to him, he would have taken the bait.

Steve Rogers had shown her nothing, but respect. Even when he had kissed her, he never imposed himself on her. It was touching. He asked questions, but never tried to pry her mind open. It was refreshing. No one had ever treated her more than just a weapon; an agent. She was always meant to be admired, but never touched. The Black Widow.

The man out of time stood nervously, wondering how she was going to react. Steve would never have expected Natasha to walk over to him and kiss him. He stood still for a moment, until her nails ran through his hair. As her body pressed into his, his hands hesitantly touched her sides. The kiss was unlike their previous ones, there was no hesitation on her part. Her mouth quickly moved against his, wanting to engage them.

His body's natural instincts kicked in, as his hands wrapped themselves around her waist. Without heels on,, the agent was six inches shorter than the soldier. His touch pulled her body in, pulling her on her toes. Her arms wrapped around his neck, devouring his mouth. Their tongues gently slipped in and out of each others mouths, every time they opened.

The height difference was becoming a problem, as Natasha wanted more. Her hand gripped at his collar, pulling him down onto the couch. Steve's breath was caught in the back of his throat, as she climbed on top of him. In a swift move, her legs wrapped around his waist, pressing down against his bulge. The mere sensation forced him to groan, pushing his clothed erection up against her.

His hands ran up her sculpted thighs, reaching her behind. Natasha was pleased to see, with a little push his wild side was slowly coming out. Pushing her lips against his forced his hands to squeeze at her, feeling a burning in the pit of his stomach. Steve held her close, his left arm locked around her waist as his other hand reached up. She let out a gentle moan into his mouth, as his hand grabbed a bundle of her red hair.

As hot as this was becoming, she knew he wasn't that experienced. Even if he had had sexual experiences in the past, it had been seventy years. Wanting to spark things, her hands tucked under his shirt and moved up. He really was in great shape. Her fingers crawled up his chiseled abs, going to lift the shift off quickly.

As soon as the article of clothing hit the ground, Steve reached up to pull her mouth against his again. She felt his fingertips pressing into the back of her neck; a reaction to her own hand reaching down to undo his pants. As she took a hold of his staff, he grabbed at her tank top and tore it in two. The pair stopped for a moment, as he apologized, "I-I'm sorry."

"Just kiss me."

Steve nodded feverishly, as he grabbed up and reached her face. They began to tango again, as her hand kept moving up and down. The truth was, he had only had very awkward sex a couple of times before the serum. He was a nerd; skinny and weak. No woman wanted him. It was a girl from the neighborhood. She was always bored during. She was a virgin and only used him to gain experience to use on her much large boyfriend. A fact he found out afterward.

She hadn't touched him the way Natasha was. No one had. She was a woman of strategy though. As much as she wanted to get him off, she also wanted to get herself off. If he had entered her after so many years of not having sex, the party would have quickly ended. It wasn't long before a warm, semi-thick liquid filled her hand. He apologized, to which she smirked.

Steve had expected to ejaculate so quickly. But, it had felt so damn good he couldn't help it. While breathing heavy, he took a long look at the woman atop him. Her legs were still straddling him, now sitting up straight. A deep groan filled the back of his throat, watching her hand moving down her flat stomach. His eyes went wide, realizing exactly what she was down.

As Natasha continued to touch herself, Steve moved up to quickly undo her bra. His left hand reached up to grab at her amble breast, while his tongue brushed the nipple of the other. Upon the feeling of his wet tongue against her sensitive skin, she arched her back to push her chest more into his mouth. His right hand then crawled down into her pants, pushing her own fingers away to simultaneously rub her clitoris.

Captain Steve Rogers really was a fast learner. As his fingers moved in a small circle, her hips moved along with his actions. Her cheeks were flushed and her chest rose up and down as he continued. She was becoming wet at his touch, aroused more than she expected to be. Her response to his fingers quickly hardened him again.

Their eyes locked with each other, knowing exactly what they wanted. Natasha moved up to pull her sweatpants and underwear off, while Steve pushed his pants down. With his staff now exposed, she couldn't help, but take in a deep breath. For some reason now, it was becoming real. What she was about to do, was now hitting her like a brick.

Steve could see this, as he reached over to grab her hand and give it a squeeze. Natasha nodded, before adjusting her opening against the tip of his length. He stopped breathing momentarily, as she eased herself over him. As he filled her void, the two breathed in heavily. The pressure of something so big being inside of her, after so long; took her a moment to get use to. And the sensation of something so tight wrapping around him, proved almost too much to bare.

After a moment, Natasha began moving her hips. Each time her lower body moved up and pushed down, her muscles around him stretched. It didn't take long for her to feel comfortable, with his organ inside her. Now, it was the right amount of pleasure and pain she liked. As she slid down him, she enjoyed the soothing sensation until his tip hit her cervix. Then it sent a pang of pain coarse through her body, causing her to shudder and moan.

It wasn't long, until Steve was moving his own hips along with hers. He was slowly figuring out what he liked, grabbing onto her sides to move her along. His fingertips dug in as she continued to roll her hips on top of him. The look on his face was empowering. His eyes squeezed shut and his mouth hung open. Every time she pushed all the way down, his eyes opened and rolled into the back of his head.

The invisible hairs on her stomach stood up, as his hand ran its way up. Latching onto the back of her neck, after touching her breath; he turned her over with ease. Yes, Steve Rogers really was a quick learner. Natasha's arms immediately wrapped to grab onto his shoulders, as he lifted up her left leg to wrap around his waist.

Steve grabbed onto the arm of the couch, while pushing further into her. He moved his hips with slight hesitation, the sign of someone re-learning. Natasha didn't mind, either way it felt great and she was happy to help. Soon, his head was buried into the nape of her neck; picking her behind up to fill her further.

Natasha's mouth hung open, as she felt her climax nearing. A few more long pushes and her body was engulfed in her highest peak. The feeling of her hips bucking, proved to be too much for him. Steve found his own body shaking, pulling himself out hastily and spilling himself on her stomach. His eyes instantly widened and he apologized through gasps, "I...I am so sorry."

"Stop," She breathed, grabbing at her hair in an attempt to come back to Earth, "That was amazing."

Steve rapidly nodded his head, bowing it down in exhaustion. His mind was racing and he was still erect. It was embarrassing for him to still be excreting fluids, cupping his hand over himself, so she couldn't see. This only made her give him a genuine smile, before pulling herself out from under him. The need for affection that took over every woman's body kicked in, causing her to touch his cheek, and pull his face up.

After planting a kiss on his lips, she smirked, "I'm coming to take a shower. Make yourself coffee."


	7. Chapter Seven

A blurred vision of Natasha moving sensually flashed before Loki's eyes. It amazed him how quickly the humans gave in to their baser instincts. How someone like her, could throw everything away for a few minutes of mediocrity. Their minds were so weak that they could be easily swayed, by another person's body.

Loki sat in his cell, with his hands on his lap. The Frost Giant was no pervert; he wouldn't watch what the Black Widow was doing. But, he certainly knew what had happened and he knew who it happened with. In a way he was a little disappointed. He had thought Natasha Romanoff to be stronger than that. Stronger than the typical women, who inhabited Midgard.

Though he was a tad disappointed, Loki smirked. Natasha's defenses were slowly disappearing and she was becoming an open wound. It wouldn't be long, before he would be able to reach out and jab into her broken flesh. He would remind her that no matter how much training she had, nothing would ever be able to prepare herself against him. He would let her know that without SHIELD imprisoning him, she was defenseless.

Oh, yes. The time was near.

* * *

 

After showering, Natasha joined Steve for coffee in her kitchen. The shy manner in which he was behaving was, for lack of better words; cute. They may have just had intercourse, but he was still acting like they were young teens. It was obvious how shocked he still was; considering her advances had been quite unexpected.

After coffee, the captain had excused himself. He didn't want to seem too clingy, so he opted on giving her space. It was for the best; while he was an American hero who was free to do what he pleased, she was a hired agent. And although she was growing quite fond of him, there was no way she wanted SHIELD to find out.

She found herself at the New York City headquarters two days later. Like any other organization, SHIELD was full of hard working suits. Unknown employees were running in all different directions, as she headed towards Fury's quarters. Although the company had a higher council, Natasha only reported to the one-eyed agent.

The sex her and the captain had stayed fresh in her mind. She wasn't lying, when she said she couldn't remember the last time someone had kissed her. She also couldn't remember the last time she had had sex. The last time someone had handled her so tenderly. The last time her body shook from such an intense orgasm.

Her body shook at the memory. It had been nice to be intimate with someone like Steve Rogers. Someone with such a kind spirit and an innocent soul. Being with him made her realize that she was still human. Because of the captain, she remembered that she could be so much more than just a cold killing machine.

The past two days had helped Natasha push Loki into the dark depths of her mind. Rather than being tormented by nightmares, she was able to rest easy. The fact that someone like Steve would want to share something so intimate with her, was truly touching. Clint had wondered if assassins like them could ever be free from their pasts; she wondered if Steve was the answer to that question?

Nick Fury seemed far less stressed, than the last time the two had spoken. The former Russian spy noted the calm demeanor of the director, as she neared him. The relaxed position of his body. He may have been a highly skilled agent himself, but no one had ever been able to sense her approaching them. Well, no one except Loki.

Pushing that thought aside, she approached Fury. The director tried to act as if he hadn't been surprised, but Natasha knew better. Still, she stood straight, with her hands linked behind her back. The one-eyed agent was reading over something in a manilla folder, before commenting, "Stark's name, for once; hasn't been all over the news. Good job."

It was hardly a mission. She nodded her head, ignoring the urge to make a comment. After a few more seconds, Fury closed the folder, and looked down at her, "I need you to make a stop at Captain Rogers' apartment."

"What for?" She asked calmly.

"Thought he'd like to take a look."

Natasha raised an eyebrow, before taking the folder and opening it. After a quick look, she lifted her head, "Is it wise to bring this up again?"

Nick sighed, "Probably not. But, when the captain was first unfrozen, this was the only thing he asked about. I'd just like for him to have whatever closure he can find from this."

* * *

 

Lately the director hadn't been giving her the best _missions_. Perhaps after Loki had attacked Earth, nothing would ever compare. Natasha would never be able to feed the adrenaline rush she craved at times, unless there was a similar attack. And right now, the Earth and the Avengers weren't in the proper shape to defend themselves.

Still, this was offensive. The agent may have been able to stomach babysitting Stark, but she needed missions that catered more to her skills. Did she really need to become involved with her past, just for a rush? It may have been wrong for her to wish for something to get her blood pumping, but this was the reality she lived in. From a young age, Natasha was molded into a killing machine. It was hard to stray away from one's true nature.

The only good thing about this mission, was that it gave her an excuse to visit the soldier. She wasn't too fond of being a messenger, but at least it would be the captain, who would be greeting her at the door. Lately, she had been surprising herself, by how much she was allowing herself to open up to her own feelings. She needed to remind herself, not to become too comfortable.

Finally reaching his apartment door, she opted for a single tap on the bell; rather than obnoxious knocking. She waited patiently, before Rogers opened the door, "Natasha, hi."

"Hello, Steve," Natasha nodded, "May I come in?"

"Of course," He replied with a smile, before moving away to allow her in, "I was just about to head to the gym. Would you like to come?"

"I actually like to work out on my own."

Steve nodded understandably, before heading to his kitchen to get something to drink. When SHIELD had offered to provide the captain with a lavish apartment, he declined. Rather he requested they give him the simplest living quarters. His argument, was that he hadn't any possessions. Everything he once owned, had long been gone.

So, Natasha stood in the middle of his average sized studio apartment. This was the first time she had been in his home and didn't want to impose. She stayed still, until he rounded the small counter that outline the kitchen area. He handed her a glass of water, before offering her a seat on his bed. There was no couch; only enough room for a small kitchen, a small round dinner table, two chairs, a punching bag, and a bed.

Instead, the agent stood still, while observing, "I'm surprised you have a TV."

The captain glanced over the to the flat screen television, hanging on the wall across from his bed. Steve chuckled lightly, before turning back to the former spy, "I really only watch the news. I actually just started watching the history channel."

"Good. There really isn't anything else that's worth watching."

The two smiled at each other. The man out of time and the Black Widow. Natasha decided to finally hand over the manilla folder, without any explanation. Steve gave her a look, before opening the folder. She watched as he read, observing the reactions of his face. It wasn't long, before his eyes were glued to the information. They were locked onto the paper, holding onto every word he read.

Natasha stood still, waiting for him to lift up his head. After a few more seconds, he finally did so, "How did you get this?"

"Fury gave it to me. He thought you would like to know what happened."

Steve nodded to himself. She knew reading this would upset him; not knowing what the purpose of this information was. After another glance at the paper, he gulped, "You were right. Peggy Carter did have a good life."

"She went on to become a SHIELD member."

"And died of old age."

Dying of old age should have been good news, but he still looked upset. She supposed she understood. Peggy Carter could have been considered the first love of Captain Steve Rogers. Knowing that she was now dead and having not been able to say goodbye, must have hurt him. In his mind, he still could have let her know he was alive. He wondered, as a former SHIELD agent; if she had known about him being discovered?

Finally, Steve's shoulders relaxed with a sigh. He closed the folder and gently flung it onto the round dinner table. Running his fingers through his blonde hair, he apologized, "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Well, you know...you and I...and I'm getting upset over her."

At this Natasha cracked a warm smile, explaining, "There is no need to apologize. What we do, doesn't change the fact that you loved her."

Steve Rogers smiled. It was nice to know, in the world they now lived in; that someone could comfort him the way she did. Everyone knew her as the Black Widow; the highly trained Russian spy, with an incredible poker face. To him though, she was his companion. His partner on this journey, to discover the world they were strangers to.

The whole point to originally asking the Russian out, was to start anew. As far as everyone was concerned, he had died in that crash. For some reason, he had been spared. Whether that reason was to continue to defend his world or something else, he couldn't dwell on the past. For the seventy years that he was frozen, Peggy had lived her life. She had lived and loved. The least he could do, was to get back on his feet and continue his life.

All those years had been stolen from him; just like Natasha's entire life had been ripped from her. Despite being scrawny and losing both parents at a young age, Steve had a childhood. He knew what it was like to have friends and those who cared about him. He needed to remember, she had never experienced any of that.

Natasha had stood still, the entire time he was deep in thought. Finally snapping out of it, Steve gave a warm smile. Right now, it seemed the two were really working out. Why would he want to ruin that, by dwelling on a past he couldn't change? He was Captain America; a war hero and an Avenger. He had saved lives in the 1940s, as well as in the modern day. Why couldn't he also have a love life?

The only sound that ran through her ears, was that of the captain's shoes, as he neared her. Before she knew it, he was standing directly above her. Natasha waited for his lips to touch hers, finally relaxing her body once he did so. He kissed her hungrily, pulling her close to his sculpted body. Desperate to feel her curves against him.

As Natasha ran her hands over his shoulders and around his neck, Steve gently picked her up and laid her down on his bed. She felt the gentle pressure of his body pressing down on hers; careful not to hurt her. As his lower half pushed down, her legs hooked around his hips, and pulled their privates closer to each other.

The throbbing in her void alerted her on how aroused she was becoming. How much she wanted him. Grabbing onto his hair, she returned the kiss feverishly. She wanted more, more of him. And he knew this. His hands touched her body with more confidence, than before. Grabbed at the places he had discovered that aroused her. Kissed her the way he now knew she liked. In between the sheets, they danced.

* * *

 

The blush on Steve Rogers' face, after they made love; stuck in Natasha's mind. She could tell how unsure he was of the protocol. She wasn't sure how to tell him that she wasn't entirely certain herself. They had stayed in bed for a little longer, before she excused herself. Her eyes fluttered shut, remembering the feeling of his lips touching her spine, as she got out of bed.

They had laid in bed, but hadn't cuddled. Steve knew she wasn't ready for that. It was one thing, for her to allow herself to be intimate with him. It was another for her to lay on his chest and to be comfortable. The whole notion of it seemed too...personal. He seemed to understand though; to know he needed to take things slow with her.

That only made her feel even worse about leaving his apartment. She couldn't stay any longer or else she would start to feel all too human. Still, Natasha smiled at the remembrance of the goodbye kiss he had given her. He wouldn't allow her to leave without one. The thought of him learning to become more bold, made her glad they were doing this together.

Natasha was thankful that, unlike before; the super-soldier hadn't destroyed any article of clothing. If he had, she would have felt like a harlot. Though, Steve had gotten a little excited at one point. Holding the right side of her neck, she felt the tender skin where he had mistakenly left a small hickey. He had apologized; it was cute. Though, in that moment she had wished she hadn't cut her hair so short.

What was she turning into? First she was having drinks with Captain America, then she was sleeping with him. And now she was baring the marks. How could she be so foolish? Natasha almost cursed herself. She couldn't forget who she really was. An assassin. A spy. An Avenger. A sensitive lover had no place in a war.

Natasha sighed. The inner battle could never be won. She hadn't ever questioned her nature, until Rogers had looked to unravel her. Now, she was caught in between who she had always been and the person she never had a chance to be. Shit. Why was she behaving this way? She should have been ecstatic that someone was treating her like a human being, rather she was questioning it.

She pushed the questions out of her head. She was determined to allow herself to accept the feelings she was developing for Rogers. It would just take time. And that was what he was giving her. Natasha found herself smiling, at the thought. For once in her life, things seemed to be working out in her favor. How strange that felt.

Just one day at a time. Natasha opened her front door, feeling quite confident. She was off guard and it felt nice. This was what every civilian felt. For once she felt...normal. Captain Steve Rogers had done that for her. Slowly, he was allowing her to have the life every human being was entitled to. Funny; how the boy from Brooklyn could make the assassin from Russia feel human.

"I believe you humans call it the _walk of shame._ Tell me, Miss Romanoff, why didn't you stay the night? Intimacy issues?"

Sneering, she spun around quickly, "What are you doing here?"

Loki smirked condescendingly, "You invited me here."

"Now, how did I do that?"

"By becoming weak."


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Loki/Natasha non-con

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Loki retorted, as he stood from the couch. Unlike the first time he had invaded her house, he was wearing his Asgardian clothing. No armor. But, he certainly wasn't there on friendly terms, "I have to admit. I'm a bit disappointed."

Natasha's fists clenched, her eyes narrowed, "What I do in my private life, is none of your business."

He gave out a laugh, before admitting, "And here I thought that you were a worthy adversary. Clearly, I was wrong."

"Get out of my house."

"Or what?" His condescending laughter was beginning to unnerve her, "You've lost your edge, Black Widow. Soon, you'll be having picnics in the park."

Her nostrils flared up, growing increasingly angry. How dare this monster come into her house and speak to her that way? Hadn't he invaded her nights enough? She had just started building up the wall Loki had broken through, while he was incarcerated in SHIELD. She was just starting to open herself up to Rogers; how dare he come and interrupt that.

"I suppose rescuing Barton couldn't wipe away all that red on your ledger. You need someone like Rogers to help get rid of the rest."

Natasha stood still, on edge; as Loki neared her. His steps were silent. They didn't make a sound. He was rounding her; slowly. Menacingly. He leaned in, taking his time with his words, "But, you'll never be able to have a clean slate. You've spilled so much blood that you will always _reek_ of it!"

Having just about enough, she swung. He had to admit, she was good. The agent's fist hit him square in the jaw, causing his head to move back. The hit stung. For a mortal, she had a mean swing. Loki slowly smirked, before retaliating. Only his punch sent her to the other side of the room; knocking her armchair over.

Rather than dwell on the pain that surged through her body, the skilled assassin jumped right back up. Loki prepared himself, as she ran towards him. He was ready to lash out, but Natasha had already slid under his legs. She stood up quickly, before lashing out at him. He caught her wrist, before her fist reached his face. As he yanked at her arm; she jumped up to wrap her legs around his neck and flung him to the ground.

The Frost Giant didn't skip a beat; kicking at his opponent's ankles. This allowed him a moment to get back on his feet, before she was on hers. His smirk continued to irritate her. He was enjoying this. Every moment. Wanting to wipe that smug grin off his mouth, she ran towards him with the intention of attacking.

That was until she realized she had literally ran right through him. Turning around, Loki chuckled, "I forgot that you really don't know that trick."

"I won't fall for it again."

Laughing, her opponent jumped towards her. Before she knew it, Loki had Natasha pinned against the wall by her neck. This didn't last long, as her foot lashed out against his groin. Like any man, he quickly retracted back to recover. It may have been a low blow, but in her mind this monster didn't deserve any better.

As the pain in his loins subsided, Loki growled angrily and harshly hit Natasha in the cheekbone. The punch was so powerful that it sent the agent crashing down to the floor. Even his knuckles stung. After a moment, he let go of crotch and stood up straight. Finally, he was able to let out a breath of air, as the pain disappeared.

Running his right hand through his black hair, he noticed the skilled woman still on the floor. She was holding her now bruised cheek. Loki scoffed, "Don't feign womanly distress. We both know you're no damsel."

"You're right," Natasha's head instantly snapped towards him, allowing him to see that her cheek was split open, "And you're certainly no knight in shining armor."

Loki let out a laugh, before kicking her in the face. Natasha's body fell back. Before she was able to retaliate, the sorcerer yanked her up and slammed her back against the wall. After the second harsh slam, the redhead smashed her forehead against his. It stunned him for a moment, but didn't slow him down.

His hands lashed out to grab her by the shoulders, before continually slamming her against the wall. The back of her head must have hit the hard surface four times, before he stopped. Natasha needed to blink a few times, to get her vision back. How was she losing this battle so easily? He may have been a god, but she was the Black Widow.

It was sad. The only times she had ever truly felt matched, was when Loki was around. There was no time to muse this thought over, though; as he spat, "Don't you see? You can pretend to be the little boy scout's girlfriend. Pretend that you're just like every other woman in love. But, you're not. You're a killer. A murderer. A Thief. And what you truly hate about yourself, is that you've enjoyed every moment. You lie and claim to want to clear your ledger, but in fact you want to fill it. You just justify your sick cravings by working for who you perceive as the good team. Face it, Black Widow, you will never change."

His words circled around her head, as his hand took hold of her neck. Her lips were becoming numb, as air was being cut off. As she was becoming lightheaded and her body was beginning to lose energy, an old feeling surged through her. A sensation she had long learned to suppress, after realizing what she had been coded with her whole life, was wrong.

Realizing what was taking over her body, her eyes quickly shot up to his. She recognized the familiarity in his green orbs. It was what she had seen far too often, before a man looked to kill her. Loki was staring deep within her, but instead was looking to kill himself. Kill the young boy, who never belonged. Kill the young man, who was oblivious as to why he felt different. Kill the adult, who betrayed his entire family. And kill the monster, who still love his brother and father.

Finally, as her windpipe was being crushed, Natasha gave in. Her hands quickly lashed out to grab at his hair; Loki instantly tensing up. It wasn't until she yanked him forward, so that their lips crushed each others; that he stood still. It wasn't everyday that the woman he was trying to kill, was suddenly kissing him.

Soon, her teeth latched onto his lower lip. The hand grabbing her neck quickly snaked around, to snatch a clump of hair. She bit hard. So hard that it broke skin. As his blood filled his mouth and the irony tasting liquid touched her lips, their mouths broke apart. He turned his head to the side, to spit out the excess blood; before slamming his lips back onto hers.

As their mouths opened to explore each others, Natasha's arms quickly pulled his body against hers, by his shoulders. His grip on her red hair tightened, as her nails dug into the back of his neck. Pain surged through his own body, shuddering as the discomfort turned into pleasure. This caused him to intensify his kissing; both their lips rapidly becoming sore.

The bruising of her lips only made her body react more. Pain constantly turned into pleasure, as they continually clawed at each other. He ripped off her shirt, not caring that he scratched her in the process. That didn't matter. She enjoyed it. Wanted more. The more she fought him, the more he pushed harder. And she enjoyed every moment of it.

Natasha let out a painful gasp, as his left hand grasped at her naked breast. He didn't care. Her bodily needs were of no concern to him, only wanting to feed his own. His hand kneaded at her breast, until she was sure there were bruises. This caused her to yank at his top, demanding this article of clothing be removed.

It was the first time Loki's lips left hers, leaving her with the feeling of desperation. Wanting his mouth to attack her again. Soon, his Asgardian shirt dissolved off him, to reveal his bare chest. He may not have been as large as Rogers, but his lean body was sculpted. Loki watched as a moan escaped her lips, because of the sight of his body. It aroused him.

As they continued to look the other up and down, his green eyes darted to her neck. Snarling, he reached out to harshly press his thumb against the hickey, "You stink of him."

She should have flinched away, but couldn't deny the pleasure she felt, "Too bad."

Clearly, that wasn't the best thing to do. Before Natasha could blink, Loki yanked her by her face and threw her over the side of the couch. He stood in between her legs, ripping them open. Her hands gripped at the couch, as he yanked her pants off. She hadn't even seen him pull out his long staff, before it was slammed into her.

His hand slapped down on her mouth, the instant she let out a scream. There were no cautionary movements, no foreplay. Loki would let her know he was in charge. Let her know he wouldn't allow her to enjoy him. Yet, her wet walls let him know how aroused she was. That no matter how hard he hit her, she enjoyed every moment of it. With every slap, her vagina became more and more moist.

Loki prevented the redhead from pulling her body up, pinning her chest down with his left hand. With the right, he lifted up a leg to buck into her. His thrusts were short and hard; the tip of himself stabbing into her cervix. Though, he took his time. Every time her body shuddered, after he entered her; he paused momentarily to enjoy the look on her face.

Natasha's hands were shaking, as his thrusts sped up. His eyes were fixed on the way her chest bounced up and down, each time he pushed into her. As their organs rubbed against each other, he groaned. Her walls tightened around him each time, making it hard for him to stand. This certainly wasn't going the way he had expected.

"F-Fu...L-Loki..." Natasha breathed, not being able to control the words from leaving her mouth.

Natasha moaning his name, was almost too much for him to bare. Loki grabbed onto her leg, as he sped up his thrusts. It wouldn't be long, before he reached his climax. She was just too hot and arousing. As he pushed in, his hand moved up to wrap his fingers around her neck. When he squeezed, he could see her eyes rolling into the back of her head.

As she became lightheaded, she was able to feel him inside her even more. The feeling was too much to handle, as her body shook from a climax. An orgasm that woke up every nerve in her body. One much more intense than she could even begin to comprehend. Seeing how her body was reacting, sent Loki over the edge. Ripping out of her, he soon ejaculated onto the arm of her couch.

Reality hit Natasha like a brick soon afterward. As Loki was regaining his breath above her, she laid still. Loki. Loki; the God of Mischief. She had just had sex with Loki. The trickster. The liar. The man who looked to enslave her kind. The man who was going to kill Barton. Who was going to kill her. The man who wasn't Captain Steve Rogers.

What had she done? Her body felt numb and it wasn't the kind of feeling she liked. A cold heart killer. A robot. An assassin. Had she become so hardened over the years that she could betray someone like the captain. They had never become official, but this was wrong. Steve trusted her. Treated her the way she deserved. Loki didn't. She was supposed to be going on this journey with Steve. She was supposed to be exploring a new life with Steve. A new Natasha Romanoff. She wasn't suppose to be thrown back into her past with Loki.

Loki held his mouth, as he tucked away his private parts. It had been so long since he had felt the touch of a woman's skin against him. In Asgard, the men were much bigger then he was. The women all flocked to Thor, but never to him. Loki had long pushed aside the thought and even the need for something so primal as sex.

His heart was beginning to settle down, as he glanced down at her. Regret was written all over her face. She would try and convince herself it was because she had cheated on Rogers. Some misguided moral code and loyalty. But, he knew better. Like him, she enjoyed the abuse. And that was extremely frightening to her.

Finally straightening himself up, he looked down at her with a blank expression, "Well, I see we are one in the same."

With that, Loki began to dematerialize. Natasha had long stopped being disgusted with herself. Her body remembered the feeling of the sorcerer inside of her; remembered enjoying every moment of it. It was a sensation she had endured before. It didn't help to feel dirty. Rather her body did what it had always done in the past; harden itself. Her wall grew bigger. She needed a shower.

How could she have so easily reverted back to her old self? Especially with such a vile creature. It was all her fault. She had kissed him. She could have fought back. It would have been easy. She could have kicked his side, paralyzing him momentarily. She could have knocked him out, with enough time to contact SHIELD to collect him. That was the right thing to do. Damn her and her constant need for a rush.

After what seemed like forever, Natasha stood up. Her head was pounding. She wanted to feel guilty. But, how could she when she had enjoyed it so much? The former spy felt like a junkie who was desperate to stay clean, but fell off the bandwagon. It was almost expected that every addict relapsed once and a while. But, in the end the all got clean. Or died.

She sighed. She could climb back on the bandwagon. Just one day at a time.


	9. Chapter Nine

Someone was at the door.

The knocking had snapped Natasha out of her stupor. For three days she had been trying to interpret her thoughts. Trying to make sense of it all. After three days she had felt numb. Her mind tried to convince her it hadn't happened, but her body begged to differ. The scars that had been left from his nails continued to itch, begging to be scratched. She wouldn't touch them. They would then become real.

Someone was at the door.

There was no time to be engulfed in thoughts. Was it Loki? No. Loki would never knock. Natasha turned towards the door, almost hoping whoever it was would go away. She was in no mood to fight. Her body was still aching from the battle. It had been a while since she had fought a god. This time, she had no back up.

Someone was still at the door. They were persistent. In order to prevent the pounding that was forming in her head, Natasha picked her body up from the couch. She should have checked to see who was there, but after her encounter with Loki, she doubted anyone else could be worse. Apparently she was wrong.

"Steve."

The captain grinned. That only made it worse. Why was he smiling? She hadn't contacted him in three days and had slept with another man. Couldn't he smell Loki off her the way the god smelt Steve? Could he not see the scarlet letter slashed across her forehead? No. He was too much of a gentleman to have those kind of thoughts. Too innocent. Too trusting of her. Why?

Moving back, Natasha offered, "Would you like coffee?"

"Um, yea. That sounds great," Steve nodded, while stepping in, "Are you alright?"

Natasha's eyes snapped up. He could tell something was wrong. She lifted her chin, in an attempt to disguise her shame. She wanted to lie. Make up a story. She was good at that. After years of being a Russian spy, she had almost forgotten who she was. Natalie Rushman. Natalia Alianovna Romanova. Natasha Romanoff. Who was she? Had she ever been real?

Something though made her sway her decision. It could have been her promise to herself, to make a change. Or it could have been Steve. The captain was the most real person she knew. So noble. He had lied about five times, in order to enlist in the army. Because of his love for his country, he was transformed into a completely different person. After all, who else would name themselves Captain America?

"I'm just trying to take it one day at a time."

Steve frowned slightly, feeling bad for her. He couldn't imagine what it must have been like, being trained to never feel emotions. Stepping forward, he gave her a comforting smile, "You don't need to put pressure on yourself, Natasha. We're all going to make mistakes. It's what being human is all about. There's no need to feel bad."

Looking up, she cracked a small smile. He was so understanding. Why? Deciding not to over think everything, she nodded her head, "Thank you. How...how have you been?"

He stuck his hands in his pockets and shrugged nonchalantly, "I've been reading a lot. You know, trying to catch up with the world."

"What are you on, right now?"

"Vietnam?"

Natasha mouthed an _O_ , "Well, have fun with that. I won't ruin the ending."

The sarcastic comment made Steve laugh, which in turn caused her to smile. She offered him coffee after that. Coffee turned into breakfast, which Steve made. Having eggs with the captain, as small as activity was; was a big accomplishment for her. She imagined this was what couples did every morning, before work.

After Steve dumped some hash browns on her plate, he asked, "Hey, want to go rock climbing afterward? I was watching TV the other day and they had a commercial for it."

"Wouldn't that be a bit redundant for us?" She smirked.

"True," He grinned, not giving up, "How about the batting cages? I haven't swung a bat, since I played stick ball on my old block. And I wasn't very good."

* * *

 

It was truly funny, how easily sides were flipped during war. How enemies could become lovers in the blink of an eye. The one person whom he had promised to destroy, was the source of his pleasure in that moment. She had kissed him. Loki hadn't expected that. He wanted to push her. Get a rise out of her. See what would happen, when he tried to yank the demon out of her. What had actually occurred, wasn't the least bit what he expected.

Leaning his head against the wall, Loki growled. What a crafty little minx she was. It had been so long since he had been with a woman, he had forgotten what it felt like. His mind had been plagued with dark thoughts for so long, he had pushed the thought of a woman out. Ever since Sif had looked the other way, towards his brother; he knew he'd never be desirable to a woman.

Then he started to smirk. What had set the mortal off? Certainly, being tossed around like a rag doll, wasn't considered foreplay. Loki could have easily killed Natasha. She must have known that. So, why did she suddenly kiss him? He had underestimated her. After showing concern for the Hawkeye and going on dates with Captain America, Loki had thought of her as weak. Now, it all made sense. She was trying to hide her true self. The person who absolutely loved the abuse. Got off it. He was truly intrigued.

"See something you like, Lady Sif?" Loki spoke, after sensing someone interrupting his thoughts.

"No."

His green eyes lifted, to see Sif standing in front of his cell. She was glaring angrily. Sitting up straight, the prince cooed, "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Sif, you'll get wrinkles."

Clearly ignoring his snide comment, she snarled, "You shouldn't even be alive. Your punishment should have been death."

"Yes, I should have been. I suppose being a prince has its perks."

"Oh, now you acknowledge your family?" Sif narrowed her eyes, "You like to think you've been an outsider your whole life. Only to pity yourself. You disgust me, you monster."

Loki stared at her. Even now, he thought she was so beautiful. But, her loyalty to Thor disgusted him. She had tried to pretend she wanted to be a warrior, on her own accord. But, he knew better. Sif could have been a fair maiden. Pampered and treated like a queen. If she hadn't decided to become a warrior, she might have been Thor's bride. But, she knew his older brother wanted a woman who had the same appetite for hunger, the way he had.

"Am I really the monster? I'm the only one, who has the strength to be honest. To make my real self known and not apologize for it," His eyes narrowed, "I was lied to my whole life. I should have known who I really was. I wouldn't have tortured myself, all these years," He then slowly stood, "Did it frighten you, Sif? When you first found out I was a Frost Giant?"

Sif's nostrils flared up. Her fists gripped, "It only made me hate you more."

"Your words truly touch me, Sif," Loki faked a smile, "Do me a favor and don't come back. I will only talk to Thor, Odin, or Frigga. Leave; before I show you my true self."

* * *

 

How did Natasha get dragged to the batting cages? Oh, yes. Steve's smile. He had looked so happy that she couldn't possibly say no. He was so sure that they would have a good time. The thought of having slept with Loki, was practically fresh out of her mind. Somehow, being in his presence, was slowly wiping the scarlet letter away.

The batting cage was located in the middle of a sports entertainment center. Natasha gave Steve a look, as children ran towards the laser tag section, "What?" He asked, grinning sheepishly.

"Didn't know we were going to be surrounded by rug-rats."

Steve laughed, as they neared the main desk, "Not a kid person, huh?"

"Yea, I really don't see that working out."

Chuckling, the soldier approached the desk to pay for two cages. As Steve was taking out money, to pay, the clerk pointed out, "You look really familiar."

Both Natasha and Steve's heads shot up, looking at each other. True, the Avengers really didn't hide who they were. Everyone knew Tony Stark as Iron Man. Dr. Banner's outbursts had been well documented on the news. Neither Barton nor Natasha hid their faces. And Captain America was well know during his time; his face had been revealed plenty of times. The only one the public didn't really know, was Thor. And that was because he was from Asgard.

Still, neither were looking for the attention at the moment, "Ugh, yea, I guess I get that a lot."

The clerk gave a small smile, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. She printed out two tickets and handed them to the pair. As they began to walk past the desk, the clerk whispered, "Thank you, Captain America."

The kind words stopped Steve in his tracks. He stole a glance over to Natasha, who gave him a smile. The smiling was contagious, as he turned and thanked the clerk. She nodded, before turning back to her work. It nice, to see that his work was recognized. The Avengers had received their fair share of criticism, but it was times like these that made him proud of what he did.

A small child stared at Natasha, as she grabbed the heaviest bat she could. The redhead kept an eye on the child, while heading over to one of the cages. Steve had already set up; having put on a helmet and adjusting the settings. The first ball shot out of the machine at a medium speed. Natasha waited until the ball was close enough, before swinging. She felt the vibrations surge through the metal bat, pricking at her finger tips.

Steve had adjusted the settings to a medium speed as well, before waiting for the ball. The ball approached him and soon he swung. The ball was sent speeding into the machine, thus breaking it. Everyone in the cages turned towards him, even Natasha. Gripping onto the bat, he shrugged sheepishly, "Sorry. Guess I didn't know my own strength."

Natasha gave a comforting smile, as the captain was moved to the cage on the other side of her. He shrugged again, to which she laughed. After the machine was repaired, the two went on for an hour. Steve had gotten the hang of swinging the bat, without hitting it too hard. By the end of their session, the two had adjusted the settings to the fastest speed they could.

"Wow, that was so cool," A young boy pointed out, as the pair stepped out of the cages, "You're so awesome, Captain America."

Apparently, he was more known than he thought he was. Giving a grin over at Natasha, he shrugged. She smirked, before grabbing a baseball out of a nearby basket. After taking a pen out of his pocket, Steve signed the ball, and handed it to the child. He was grinning from ear to ear, before running back to his group of friends.

Steve and Natasha were walking back to his bike, when she pointed out, "You're very good with children."

The captain shrugged, "I just don't want to be arrogant. You know, like Stark. But, I don't want to be rude either."

She nodded, as they neared his bike. He turned to her, asking, "How do you feel?"

"Better," She answered, "Thank you."

Steve smiled, happy that he could make Natasha feel better. He swung his legs around the bike, waiting for her to do the same. When she was on securely, he turned around to press his lips against hers. She couldn't help, but smile once he retracted. She laughed as he winked and turned back around, to start revving the engine. Things may have not been perfect, but today was.


	10. Chapter Ten

Her phone was ringing.

Steve was amazed that he could hear Natasha's phone ring, while in the shower. It was obnoxiously loud. It was her SHIELD phone. He supposed the volume needed to be loud, so that she was alerted whenever the agency needed her. Who knew what kind of mission Fury had for her. Or what trouble Earth was in.

Right now, though; the captain needed her. A week had passed and things seemed to be going well. After all, she would consider having her back pressed against the wet wall, while Steve thrust into her; a good thing. Blissful even. What was hotter than having sex with a gorgeous and kind man, while water ran down his well sculpted body?

She could feel how aroused he was, by her own body. Aroused by the way the water ran down her body. Her nipples perked up, hard against the palms of his hands. As his thumbs circled around the sensitive area, she moaned even louder. Her heavy breathing fueled him. Caused him to grab at her legs; lifting them up and pushing in further.

Another ring; "I think you're needed." He breathed, as he continued to move his hips. By now, he wasn't sure if it was water or sweat matting his hair down.

"Fuck that. It can wait." She breathed, while wrapping her arms around his strong shoulders.

Now even more aroused, Steve sped up. His hips dug into hers, as he felt his tip pushing up against her cervix. Her legs yanked him in further; wanting him to push as far as he could. Their lips locked for only a second; his bucks making it hard to keep them together. Soon, her hips twitched, as the result of an orgasm. That was all the captain needed, before he was pulling himself out and letting his seed swirl down into the drain.

Breathing heavily, Steve pulled away from Natasha's body. Her feet were eased onto the floor, as she reached down to touch herself. It was throbbing. Her body was still weak, from her climax. Endorphins kicked in and soon she had her arms wrapped around his strong neck. Her full lips pushed up against his tenderly. The affectionate gesture, caused him to smile and pull her in closer.

The phone was still ringing.

Natasha growled, as she removed herself from his body. There were plenty of other agents working under Fury, why couldn't he bother them? Surely Agent Hill would have sufficed. As the assassin answered the phone, Steve shut off the shower. It had been the first time, he ever had sex in the shower. The sensation was almost too much for him to handle. Looking down, he cursed under his breath. Despite having climaxed, he was still hard.

After wrapping a towel around his waist, he stepped out into the main room. She seemed a little agitated, but overall reserved. She was an agent, trained to take orders. Just like he was a soldier, trained to not ask questions. She turned to him, while explaining, "I need to go. Some people from Banner's past are on his tail. I need to steer them away."

"Does he know?"

"No. We've done this many times, over the year."

"Should I go?"

Natasha shook her head, "No, this isn't an Avengers mission. It's simple, it always is."

Steve nodded. He may have been a captain and a member of the Avengers, but he wasn't a SHIELD agent. This mission wasn't under his jurisdiction. And although he was sworn to protect the Earth, he wouldn't insult the agent's ability. Natasha was a strong woman and possessed super human skills that she could handle this on her own.

* * *

 

After the Loki incident, Bruce Banner had gone back to India. Calcutta had become his home. There he felt at ease, despite the hustle and bustle of everyday life. His skills as a doctor were able to be utilized, in order to help those who were sick. Amongst the people, he felt human. There he wasn't a huge green monster. He was Bruce Banner. Not the Hulk.

It was always easy to steer enemies away from the doctor. This wasn't the first time Natasha was sent on this kind of mission and she sure it wasn't the last. Banner may have helped save the world, but it didn't mean people still weren't after him. It only seemed to be recent that he was able to control what the Hulk did, as shown during their fight in New York City. She knew the captain always felt bad; the very process that had made him a super soldier turned Banner into a monster.

It had taken a couple of days and pretty soon Bruce was in the clear. Of course, the doctor knew nothing about it. SHIELD had decided it would be best for him to continue living his life peacefully. After all, he had to deal with the prospect of turning into the Hulk. The least the could do, was help him out a little.

Still, she couldn't say that her and the doctor hadn't become close because of Loki's attack. Banner was her responsibility to retrieve and as a result, she stuck with him up until the SHIELD ship was attacked. He really was a nice man, who seemed more than thrilled when he was needed for his intelligence rather than the other guy. She figured, while she was in India, she might as way pay the good doctor a little visit.

The Avengers had gone their separate ways, after Thor had taken Loki back to Asgard. Natasha saw Banner leave with Stark; the two were both scientists and probably spent some time together. But, it wasn't long before everyone went their own ways. Fury had decided he didn't want to track them, since they had all deserved some time off. They would know when the world was in trouble again and would assemble.

Besides Barton and Romanoff, who were both SHIELD agents; they had kept a track on Banner. Considering his past, he was the only one they felt needed their help. They may have provided Captain Rogers with an apartment, but they really weren't keeping tabs on him. Stark was always in the media, so it wasn't hard to find him. Thor was the only one they would have difficulty contacting, but she knew in case of trouble, he would appear.

Knowing where the doctor's little shack was, Natasha gave a light knock and waited. She could hear the fidgeting of Banner's feet and could see him peering through the peephole. She gave a smile, as the door was opened, "Agent Romanoff, what are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd stop by and say hello."

Bruce gave a look around, before letting her in, "What are you doing in India?"

The redhead gave a shrug, "Everyone needs a vacation, don't they?"

The doctor gave a small laugh, while heading to the kitchen, to start making tea, "You can't fool me. Who was on my trail, this time?"

"Do you really want to know?"

After a moment, he shook his head, "No. How...um, how have you been doing?"

"I'm been fine," She wasn't going to reveal her relations with the captain, "Have you seen our dolls?"

Bruce chuckled, while turning around and folding his arms, "They have a Hulk doll. I really never expected that. Some of the kids, who run around town, have them. They don't know its me, but...its still very strange to see."

Natasha gave him a small smile, as he placed a cup with hot water and a teabag in it. Bruce sat down, while asking, "How's everyone else doing?"

"Fine. Barton and I are still working for SHIELD. I'm sure you see that Stark's still very...well, himself. We haven't heard anything about Thor since his arrival back to Asgard."

"What about Steve?"

She stopped, for only a moment, before replying, "He's doing well. I see him a lot in the gym. He's...trying to adjust to everyday life. I think the Avengers initiative actually helped him."

"He's a nice guy," The doctor cracked a smile, "It's funny, how the same process had such different outcomes on us. But, he's trapped as well. He may not have the problems I do, but it seems he can't die either. He's outlived everyone he use to love. And if that's any indication of what will happen, the two of us will be friends long after everyone's gone," He paused, before smiling, "Maybe we'll be having beers with Thor in a million years."

Death was something Natasha thought little about. She wasn't afraid of dying. She had faced death many times. But, the scientist brought up a good point. Despite being frozen, the captain had survived. Was he immortal now? If so, then it was very possible he would be able to outlive them all, "Well, if that were the case, at least you two will be able to adjust to the world as it grows."

The two chatted for a little bit after that. The doctor didn't want to continue to talk about dreary things. He had to say, saving the world had brightened up his thought process. He was able to prove he was useful and not a ticking time bomb. He was able to control the other guy. And most importantly, he was able to know that he wasn't alone in this world. It was nice to know, that there were others like him. Others that he could possibly call...friends?

* * *

 

Natasha left back to her small hotel room, about an hour later. It was getting late and although Banner had offered for her to stay in a guest room, she opted to stay at the hotel SHIELD had provided. She would heading back in the morning and truthfully, she didn't feel like sleeping in a shack. It was a nice gesture, but she still refused.

She entered her room and headed for the liquor cabinet. While pulling out a cup from the cabinet, she paused. She studied the sounds of the room, the scent in the air. After spending time with the captain, she had let her guard down. But, Steve wasn't here and she wasn't home. Her training kicked in and she wouldn't be fooled again.

She finally pulled the cup out of the cabinet, while pouring in the alcohol, "What are you doing here?"

Loki smirked. He was happy to see that she was reverting back to her old ways, "How's the monster doing? I'm so surprised that he would live in such a crowded city. Not really an ideal location, for someone looking to control themselves."

Natasha turned around, to face the Frost Giant, "Other than when you attacked SHIELD's ship and battling the Chitari in New York, Dr. Banner hasn't had an incident in over two years. And I think you know what happens, when he gets angry."

The memory of being thrown around by the beast, ran through his bones. Not wanting to show this, he commented, "Oh, yes, I do remember. I admit, I was a bit ahead of myself. Those plans were flawed from the start. The mistakes I made then, won't be ones I make again."

"Or ever."

Loki laughed, at the glare she was sending him. With a smug smirk, he stepped closer and cooed, "Why so angry, Natasha? Is this anyway to be treating a friend?"

"We are not friends."

"Aren't we?" He was close to her, but she wouldn't move, "Don't scrunch your face in disgust. You initiated it. And you enjoyed every moment," Slowly, he began to circle her, "See, I've figured you out. I had thought you were growing soft. Weak. This new found affection you've developed for the human race, made me question you. But, then I realized something. It's all an act. It's ok, Ms. Romanoff, to be what you really are. Do whatever you want."

Natasha snarled, as Loki moved behind her. In one quick motion, she had slammed the back of her head against his nose. He flinched back, as turned to swing. Though, he strongly grabbed hold of her wrist and yanked it down. While keeping a strong grip on her, he gingerly moved his other hand to touch at the blood sweeping out of his nostrils, "Are we really going to start this little tango again?"

"There is no tango," She glared, "I'm nothing like you."

A sinister grin slowly crept onto his lips, loving the challenge. With his hand tightly gripped around her wrist, he pulled her forward. Her body went along with the motion, though still on guard. Her gaze never left his; she was letting him know she wouldn't be fooled again. How wrong he was going to make her soon.

In one swift move, the palm of Loki's hand made contact with her cheek. Natasha quickly retaliated, swinging to kick him across the face. As his body moved back, he yanked again at her wrist. Her body moved along with the motion; flipping over to free her hand from his grip. Her victory was short lived, as he crouched down and kicked at her ankles.

Natasha's body slammed down and before she was able to move, Loki quickly stomped his foot down on her stomach. The attack caused the agent to gasp a little, going to grab at his own ankle. This only made him step down more, sneering at her, "You know, Natasha, I really do enjoy these little quarrels we get into. Makes me feel young."

Snarling, she spat, "Good; considering you're practically two thousand years old."

"Well, looking at your recent track record; you tend to like them old."

His last banter was all she could take, before throwing him off her. Loki's back hit the ground and before he could get back up, her foot pressed down against his windpipe. As it was becoming hard to breath, his eyes flicked up to lock with hers. There was no hesitation in her eyes, no second thought. She would gladly stomp down her foot and crush his windpipe.

The fire in her eyes fueled him. Caused him to yank at her ankle and send her crashing down, onto the hard ground. His hand quickly yanked her down, by her belt; to then crush his lips against hers. It was to be expected that she would fight a little. She pushed him back. She even made an attempt to get up. But, he was too quick for her. Before she even had a chance to get up, he slammed her back down, and kissed her again.

It wasn't long, before she was fighting his mouth back with her own. Her judgment was clouded. In fact, there was no thought process. Her body let go and allowed the burning desire that crept up her spine. She bit him. Scratched, clawed, and pulled. Anything to get a reaction. She wanted whatever torment he had for her. Any assault.

Loki was more than happy, to provide. He grew harder, the more she attacked him. Every scratch and pull of his hair, only aroused him more. The way his lips bruised. The way her nails clawed at his arms; opening up his skin. It all fueled him on. Caused him to yank her head back, by her red hair. He dove for her exposed neck; sucking at the sweet skin.

His teeth were pricking at her skin, but they weren't biting hard enough. Growling, she breathed heavily, "Going soft, huh?"

He slowly smirked. Loki pulled away from her neck, to look deep in her eyes. She was begging him. She tried to fight it, but he knew better. Her hips were moving upwards slightly, begging to be entered. Chuckling, Loki yanked her pants down, while cooing, "My dear, you like a moth to the old flame."


	11. Chapter Eleven

One hundred. There were one hundred tiles in her bedroom's ceiling. Funny, how she never stopped to count before. Well, she never needed to before. Never needed a distraction. Her eyes flew to the other side of the ceiling, beginning all over again. She couldn't stop. Even if she slipped up for a second, she would unravel.

Why was her mind cracking? Natasha squeezed her eyes shut. Fuck. She had lost track. Now, she was thinking. God, she was so tired. She hadn't slept the entire plane ride home. If she slept, he would be there. Tormenting her. Looking to tear her apart. If she even closed her eyes, all she saw was him. She didn't even want to blink, out of fear of having her vision covered with him.

Her nostrils opened, as she breathed in. Instantly, she frowned. She smelt him on her. How had she fallen off the bandwagon again? Things had been going well. Steve was treating her right. They went out. They laughed. And they had great sex. Surely, there was no attraction to Loki. What would there to be attracted to? He was an arrogant and evil bastard. Why had she given herself so easily to him again?

Natasha sighed. She knew why. She was well aware of her needs. Of what she liked. Over the years, she had become disgusted by it. Ever since meeting Barton, she realized that she needed to repress those needs. Her eyes were opened and she now knew that she could use her skills for good. That she could be more than what she was programmed. And yet, a little part of her past survived.

There was a buzzing. Looking over, she noticed her cell phone vibrating. It was Steve. Reaching over, she silenced the call. She couldn't speak to the soldier. Not right now. Not after what she did. Again. Steve had preached to her, about not punishing herself, but there came a time to take responsibility for her actions. Her one day at a time attitude, was slowly going out the window. What good was it, if she was just going to keep repeating the offense.

No. She couldn't. Natasha shook her head. This couldn't happen again. Slowly, she began to grow angry. Loki was a true manipulator. How dare he find her most vulnerable spots and press deep within. She would not allow him, to take control of her again. She was stronger than that. Stronger than to fall prey to her most basic instincts.

Clenching her fists, she swung her legs over the bed and got up. She would not be defeated. Not allow Loki to feel as if he had conquered her. What was he, other than a jealous brother? A pathetic being just trying to prove his worth. She had worked so hard, to become what she was today. A monster wasn't going to crack her open.

* * *

 

"Man, you look like hell."

It was always nice, to be showered with compliments. Natasha rolled her eyes, as she entered the gym, "Always the flatterer."

Clint shrugged, as he wrapped his knuckles, "I'm just calling it like I see it."

Was it that obvious? She had observed herself in the mirror, before leaving. Even though the sex, with Loki; was just as rough as the first time, she hadn't any visible marks. There a few opened cuts on her thighs, but her pants covered that. Her scalp was tender, from her hair being yanked; but there was no way the archer would be able to see that.

Natasha stayed quiet, as she wrapped her own knuckles. Her gaze stared down at her hands. The same hands that glided up and down Loki's body. The fingers that gripped his black locks, as he jammed himself inside her. Her nails still stung, from tearing at the skin of his back. Gritting her teeth, she cursed under her breath. She could still feel him.

"What's bugging you?" Clint asked, nearing her, "Seriously."

She could have told him. The archer knew plenty of her past and accepted all of it. Neither were perfect and he had been the first to believe she could change. Because of him being merciful, she was able to prove herself more than a cold blooded killer. Since becoming an agent for SHIELD, she had gone on many missions with Barton. The two were the best in the field and had become closer than she had ever thought she could, with someone.

But, no. She could not tell him. Rather, she spoke vaguely, "My past has been coming back to haunt me."

Clint stared at his comrade, seeing the seriousness on her face. She was staring at the punching bag that hung from the wall. Her body was tense and her fists were clenched. He knew the way she felt. After having become a slave to Loki's army, he felt vulnerable. Exposed. He needed to fight every day, to keep his training from unraveling. Every wrong doing from his past, slowly crept into his mind. It was as if a little part of the god stayed within. Urging him to release his restraints and break free.

"Natasha, you've been brainwashed and tortured before. Loki is only the beginning of a new kind of enemy. We're going to face worse. And we need to stay strong."

He was right. She knew he was. Clint was the only one out of the Avengers, who could even come close to knowing what she had gone through. How she worked inside. How her past had shaped her. He knew her. It was probably why they were so close. But, as close as they were; she wasn't about to reveal what was really bothering her.

The doors opened; causing both to turn. It was Steve. Natasha froze. Apparently, he was shocked too. He was in gym clothes and it was obvious he wanted to work out. She should have known that he was going to work out. He always did. She cursed within. This problem with Loki needed to be squashed soon. She was losing her edge.

The captain slowly approached the assassins, while greeting, "Hey, Clint."

Barton nodded, "Captain."

Steve then turned to Natasha, "Hey."

Her eyes darted over to Clint's. He got the message. Natasha waited until the archer left, before turning up to the soldier, "I'm sorry for missing your call."

"I figured you might still be on Fury's mission."

"I came back yesterday."

Steve mouthed an oh, before scratching the back of his neck, "Is everything alright?"

How stupid she was. How could she really be throwing things away, with the captain? He looked at her, so innocently. So kindly. Not the way Loki would look upon her. The more Natasha thought about it, the angrier she became. The god stared at her with a sense of entitlement. As if he owned her. No, she would never be owned.

"I just need time to clear my head."

Steve nodded, while stuffing his hands in his pockets, "I'm here."

Natasha frowned. Why did he have to say that? His kindness killed her, "I know. I just have a few things I need to clear up. A few days to make up for."

With a smile, he nodded, "Remember what we talked about."

He still believed in her. That was even more heart breaking. She was an idiot. Slowly, she reached her hand up and touched his cheek. The gestured caused him to smile. She returned it weakly, not having the strength to fake happiness. She needed a way to yank Loki from her mind. And she really couldn't do that, with Steve being so nice.

As Natasha turned to leave, she heard him suggest, "Maybe we can get drinks this weekend?"

Turning around, she slowly smiled, "I'd like that."

* * *

 

"Brother?"

Loki was snapped out of his thoughts, when Thor had called out his name. He had to admit, he was exhausted. Natasha had certainly worn him out. As predicted, the redhead couldn't fight off her primal instincts. She hated that he looked to make her enjoy her shameful needs. But, what she hated the most, was starving her body from those very needs.

The god couldn't deny that he was enjoying their little dance. The little game they played. Oh, how she denied him. Denied who she really was. She looked to reject the very woman that he wanted to help emerge. How much he enjoyed the little black widow, crawling up his arm. How much he enjoyed knowing that at any moment she could strike.

Casually, he glanced over to his brother, "Why, Thor, I haven't seen you in a couple of days."

"I've been busy."

"Doing what?" Loki questioned; raising his eyebrows and smirking mischievously.

Thor rolled his eyes and ignored the question, "Father wants to see you."

Good Lord. Loki groaned. It had been a while, since Odin had come to visit. The visits were few and far in between and didn't last long. It was obvious that after what Loki had done, it would take a while for things to feel comfortable. The Frost Giant had felt a hole in his heart, for his whole life. His feelings wouldn't change overnight.

It was obvious, though; that Thor wouldn't leave without him. He shouldn't have been surprised. The God of Thunder was always so persuasive. Practically every adventure they had ever gone on, was because Thor had talked them all into it. It was why Loki's plan had succeeded. He knew, with a little persuasion; that his older brother would want to invade Jotunheim. And he knew, with a grand speech; Thor would be able to get the other warriors to join. Sometimes, he really was predictable.

With a frown, Loki stood up. His body felt heavy. The idea of confronting Odin, was mind numbing. Every fiber of his body drooped. It felt as if weights were tied, to his hands and feet. He trudged through the halls, with his brother. He felt less than confident, seeing his father. There was no reason, to feel ashamed, while walking with Thor. But, for some reason; he was really dreading this trip.

He took in a deep breath, through his nostrils; as they approached the king's quarters. His green eyes glanced over, at Thor. The blonde haired man looked back and asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Loki replied quickly, "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

Thor nodded, as opened the door. Odin sat upon his throne, while awaiting his sons. His one eye stared down, at Loki. His adopted son. The king would never forget, the first time he laid his eyes upon Loki. How small and vulnerable he looked. He remembered the anger that rose through his body; wondering how Laufey could just throw his son away. From that day forward, he loved Loki as his own. The boy became his and despite everything, he still loved the boy. Could he really have showed favoritism towards Thor?

Involuntarily, Loki bowed slightly. He remembered what it was like, to feel like a king; for that short amount of time. To have subjects, to command over. Though, had he ever had complete rule over the Chitari? The army was a loan. A temporary means, to take over Earth. It had been all wrong, from the beginning. He wouldn't fail next time.

The two brothers waited, for Odin's next action. They watched, as he slowly stood from his throne. The older man always moved that way. He looked and behaved like a king. Like a man who commanded the room around him. Even as a young boy, Loki remembered viewing Odin in this manner. It was one of the things, he most admired of his father.

"Loki."

"Odin."

By now, the king stood directly in front of his sons. Thor stood silent, as Odin spoke, "When you were young, I had high hopes. I looked to see you grow up and be great. I wanted the two of you, to work together. I wanted for you, to have a new life."

Loki wanted to growl. He thought for a moment that Odin should have left him to die, in Jotunheim. He had saved him and raised him as a prince. For that, he loved him as his father. And he hated that love so much. Keeping tight lipped, he listened as Odin continued, "I could not fathom, what has become of you. Though, I must blame myself. I should have told you. Maybe none of this would have happened. I can only hope that one day, we can be a family again."

Thor looked over, to Loki. His face hadn't moved. His lips stayed put and his body was stiff. But, looking into his eyes; he knew the sorcerer was touched. Still, he kept quiet. Odin continued, "Despite the crimes you have committed, you are still royalty and still my son. I have sentenced you, to imprisonment, until I see you are fit to be released. But, it truly upsets me, to see you locked within that prison. So, I have decided that from this day forward, your room will be your prison. You should be allowed, to sleep like a prince. But, you won't be able to leave without Thor or I, just like before. Guards will be stationed outside your door and below your window. If you try to escape, I am sorry, but I will have to enforce stricter sentencing. Is that understood?"

Loki stayed quiet; deep in thought. His room. He would be able to have his room. His bed. Suddenly, his body stiffened, from the hard bed he had slept on. Just like before, he knew he'd be able to sneak down to Earth. But, he couldn't deny that he missed his bed. It felt like that stone slab would be his sanctuary, for all eternity.

"Yes," The sorcerer nodded, "Father."

Odin nodded, while looking over to Thor. The blonde knew what to do. How much of a good son the older had become, since his banishment. What had started as a great plan, certainly backfired. Thor would never disagree with the king, in fear that he would never be crowned. Loki wanted to comfort him and tell him not to worry. There was no chance in hell that the Frost Giant would _ever_ be crowned king.

* * *

 

"You understand, don't you, brother?"

Loki rolled his eyes, as they stood in front of his room; "Yes, yes. I'm to be a good boy. No TV or video games, for a week."

Thor raised his eyebrows, confused at the humor. Loki needed to remember that his brother was less knowledgeable of Midgardian activity, than him, "It's...Midgardian..."

The God of Thunder mouthed an oh, before clearing his throat. They had almost had a laugh. How awkward that actually felt. They both knew it and therefore, continued on the task at hand. The two guards outside the door, nodded, and opened the door. Loki glanced over the them, before stepping in. He looked back and asked, "Are you all going to watch me undress?"

"Please, Loki, just comply..." Thor begged.

"Aren't I?"

Thor looked over at the guards, before commanding, "Give the prince his privacy."

The guards looked at the future king oddly, before closing the door. Once that happened, Loki looked back. He breathed in. Strange. He had thought that he'd recognize the atmosphere. But, it was so foreign. Everything. The large paintings. The expensive gold that decorated his room. Even the view outside the window. Was this really what he had called home, once upon a time?

Finally, his eyes fixed on his bed. It was large. Bigger than king sized. There were grand, gold pillars at each corner of the bed. He thought it was strange that his room was kept exactly the way it was. His hand reached down and touched upon the forest green comforter, causing him to take a moment and close his eyes. How soft it felt.

It may have been early in the afternoon, but Loki collapsed onto his bed.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Drinks with the Captain.

It almost felt like the first time. They had met in Brooklyn and took their own means of transportation. The air was uneasy at first. All because of her. As much as she knew she couldn't let Loki affect her, her mind was still buzzing with him. She was frustrated that he could temporarily break her. The Black Widow. Natasha was stronger than him. So, why was it every time they met, she seemed to fall prey to her basic instincts?

Like the first time, though; Steve had had a talent for making her smile. His boyish charm and upbeat attitude could brighten the dullest stone. It was hard to feel down around the captain. His charisma was something rarely seen in modern day society. While everyone tried to avoid one another, Steve wished to welcome the world with opened arms.

Their drinks were running low and it was time for a refill. As Natasha signaled the bartender, Steve asked, "Are you ever going to let me pay for a round?"

"Well, I'm in shorts and you're wearing dickies," She smirked, while grabbing at her beer, "And these beers are four dollars each."

Steve looked down at his pants and defended, "I thought these were fine."

"I never said you didn't look good in them."

Seeing the redhead smirk almost deviously, caused the captain to smile back and lean in. Natasha could feel her breath get caught in the back of her throat, as his lips gently pressed against hers. From the first time the two went out, she had noticed Steve had become bolder. He no longer asked her permission. Rather, he took charge. She wondered if this was a result of being with her or if he was just growing in this society?

A random bar patron whistled at their public display of affection. Steve sheepishly bit his lower lip, while moving back. The feel of his lips stayed on hers. They were sweet. Kind. Gentle. There was no danger in his kisses. She didn't need to be on edge or worry about losing her head. It was easy and simple. Not like Loki.

Not wanting to think about the God of Mischief, she grabbed Steve and walked over to the dart board. She needed something to distract her mind and the captain seemed happy with her choice. He had grabbed the darts and walked back to her, "My buddies and I use to play this, before I went to war."

"Were you any good?" Natasha smirked playfully.

Steve enjoyed her little taunt, before turning and throwing a dart. She watched it fly into the center of the board. With a nod, the Russian complimented, "I guess that answers my question."

* * *

 

Natasha's body sunk in slightly, as Steve's body climbed on top of her. After a few games of darts, the captain offered to take her home. She couldn't let him leave. In her mind, the only way to rid Loki's stench off her body, was to have Steve's on her. They had had a few drinks, a few laughs, and after being on his humming motorcycle she needed him.

As his hips dug into hers, her strong leg latched around his waist. Natasha was surprised at the way Steve took in charge. The way his strong arms tucked under her and yanked her body up. She could feel his arousal pushing against her aching sex. She was excited. The change in the way he moved aroused her. He moved the way an experienced man would. Not the Steve she had met. Who was this man?

His lips moved to the nook of her neck, causing her to crane back and gain him more access. As he devoured her skin, Natasha's hands moved to yank his shirt off. Once his chest was exposed, he went back to her neck. Heat was rising. Her sex was becoming wet. His teeth nicked at her neck and involuntarily her hands latched onto his back.

Pain shot through his body. Steve pulled back and shuddered. He looked at her for only a moment, before kissing her. Natasha knew better. She was too rough. They may have been locked in a kiss, but she needed her eyes opened. Needed to look at his muscular body on top of hers. Needed to look at who she was in bed with.

Her mind was so deep in thought that she hadn't noticed Steve had moved down to the hem of her pants. In one movement, he yanked her shorts off her thighs. Followed by her underwear. He was taking charge. Natasha held onto the sheets, as his tongue flicked against her clitoris. Instantly she became awake. All her nerves were alert. Her legs twitched a little, as his wet tongue ran up her opening.

Toes curled, as her body fought control. She needed to steady herself or she might start flailing about. How did Steve become so good at this? Had it been so long since the two had become intimate that she was shocked by his skills? Natasha needed to remember who she was in bed with. Steve Rogers. Captain America. Not Loki.

Natasha couldn't take it anymore. She yanked down and grabbed a chunk of his hair, to pull him up. Ignoring the taste of her feminine juices, she slammed her mouth against his. Steve scooped up her body and pulled her on top of him. They moved easily. As if that were the way their bodies were meant to be. Almost simultaneously, the captain pushed himself up as her opening slid down onto him.

As her inner walls opened to adjust to his size, Natasha looked down to observe Steve's face. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, as her legs squeezed his hips. He was already moaning. Enjoying himself. The sensation was blissful. His mouth hung open in pleasure, but he didn't care. He had a beautiful woman on top of him; riding him like there was no tomorrow.

Their skin pressed up each other, as their organs rubbed against each other. His chest was solid. Hard. Her arms latched around his shoulders as their hips worked together. In and out. In and out. The little pang that shot through her body, once his tip hit her wall; became anticipated. Wanted. Yearned for. They were both sweating. They should have slowed down. But, when you were close to an orgasm that idea was ludicrous.

Steve's hands grabbed at her hips and flipped her onto her back. With her legs high in the air, he continued to pound until he couldn't take it anymore. Natasha could feel his final thrusts become sloppy. His nails dug into her calves, as he pulled out and released himself. His body twitched; still on cloud nine.

As his member became coated with his own sticky juices, Steve became embarrassed. Cupping his tip, he excused himself, "Sorry. I'll be right back."

Natasha smiled, "No problem"

As he hopped up and ran to the bathroom, Natasha couldn't help, but be plagued with thought. Steve had cum. He had enjoyed himself. So had she. But, something was missing. Closing her eyes, she ran her fingers down to her opening and realized she hadn't climaxed. She had been close. But, she hadn't finished. Why? It wasn't like she hadn't enjoyed herself. And the two had had sex plenty of times before by now. Why hadn't she finished?

Loki's image flashed before her eyes. With a gasp, her eyes shot open. No. No, that couldn't be it. Not even wanting to entertain the thought, Natasha jumped out of bed and began to dress. She couldn't be here. Couldn't be around Steve. Not in this state. How horrible was she that instantly after sleeping with the captain, she thought of the god?

"Hey, are you alright?"

She had been caught. Turning around, Natasha's mouth hung open. He was still naked. Still gorgeous. What was wrong with her? Not knowing what to say, she lied, "Its Fury. I have to go."

Steve frowned. He would have loved for her to stay. It seemed as if they were easing back into normality. She was just starting to laugh again. In a way, he had hoped they could spend a night together. Spend time in bed. In a way, he yearned to hold her close. To show her a comfort that he was sure she had never experienced.

Natasha felt terrible for kicking Steve out. Idiotic even. Especially after he had dressed and said, "Be safe...you know with whatever Fury has you do."

Why did he have to be so nice? With a small smile, she almost whispered, "Thank you."

As the captain walked past her, he turned around and kissed her. It only lasted a second. But, it didn't make her feel very good. Why wasn't her heart into it? His hand took hers and squeezed gently, "Call me when you get back."

* * *

 

In that moment, Natasha had wished Fury had a mission for her. At least she could have escaped out of America. Out of her thoughts. Never before had her mind seemed like a trap. A prison that no matter what she couldn't escape from. Her mind was spinning and she couldn't stop. This was the worst torture she had ever felt.

Rather she was forced to run to a local bar. At least that way she could drown out her thoughts. Drown out the sound that was blaring in her head. The noise that made it so hard to even hear the world around her. In that moment she didn't care about being a cliché. In that moment she felt she needed alcohol to stop the spinning.

How could she have thrown Steve out? Especially right after sex? She was so pathetic to use her job as an excuse. And what was even more pathetic was that he believed her. After all, why wouldn't he? He was kind and trusting. Why the hell would he put his trust in her? Didn't he know she would just bite his head off, when she was finished with him?

She was the Black Widow.

* * *

 

"Thor, are you alright?"

The God of Thunder was sat near the palace's creek, when Sif approached him. The warrior was one of Thor's oldest friends and always seemed to know when something was wrong with him. He waited until she joined him, before sighing, "I worry, my friend."

"About what?"

"My brother."

At the mention of the devious god, Sif sneered, "Why do you worry, Thor? Why must you always punish yourself?"

He should have suspected she wouldn't understand. No one did, "I should have known. I could have stopped this. All of this."

"Loki has always been devious," She spoke, "Ever since he began studying sorcery."

Thor sighed, "He only did that to set himself aside from me. From all of us. Don't you see how we shunned him? He needed a way to stand out. To make father proud. I was too self-absorbed to even notice his cries of attention."

She hated this talk. Hated him putting himself down. Ever since Loki had ruined Thor's big day, the kingdom hadn't been the same. They couldn't live without worrying. Worrying about how this could have been avoided and who was responsible. It seemed she was the only one who knew Loki was the only one responsible for his actions.

Sif touched Thor's arm gently and spoke, "You're a good brother, Thor. No matter what, you have been on his side. Why do you keep punishing yourself?"

"Because, I want Loki to live a normal life. To be my brother. A fellow prince. I want him to stand beside me and rule."

"Thor...you know that's not going to happen. He will never change."

Thor frowned, "I know."


	13. Chapter Thirteen

"Did you know you were going to land in another world?"

A week had passed since Thor and Sif spoke near the palace's creek. He had been busy with helping his father with official business, so he hadn't much time to visit his brother. Loki seemed to be in slightly better spirits, since returning to his room. It was something Odin was very happy about. They had both hoped, that with time; the air could clear between them. Perhaps one day, hopefully soon; Loki could take his rightful place as prince.

Loki wanted to be angry at Thor, for constantly visiting him. He wasn't a caged animal, for others to see at a zoo. But, in reality, it was nice. His brother's constant faith, was sickening. So much so that Loki couldn't help, but accept it. Even Odin had been visiting him more often. As nice as the attention was, it was all because of his incarceration. Why couldn't he have felt this all along? Did it really take him almost destroying a world, for his family to treat him as equal?

Loki still thought the idea of Thor becoming king was idiotic, but the company was nice. The two sat in the sorcerer's room; drinking mead. The oldest had provided the beverage. He wasn't sure if Odin would be happy with the two drinking, but he figured they both needed a drink. It was a nice day and Thor could have taken them outside, but he didn't want to risk anyone confronting Loki.

After taking a sip of his drink, the younger brother replied, "No. I had let go with plans of killing myself."

Thor frowned, "But, why?"

"Is it hard to figure out why?" Loki almost chuckled, "I was hanging from a broken bridge; the result of my want to prove my worth to father. And all Odin could say was...no."

Silence. Being frank often left others speechless. Loki could see the wheels turn in Thor's head. Trying hard to find the proper words. Were there any? What could he say? How depressed could his brother be that he had actually considered suicide? The conditions of their reunion may have been less than desirable, but he was happy to know his brother was alive.

After a few moments, the God of Thunder admitted, "I wept...every night. The Allfather wouldn't talk to anyone. I watched you fall and thought you were dead. Is that not enough to prove to you that you are loved?"

Now, it was Loki's turn to be silent. Desperate to change the topic, he pondered, "Now knowing that father can send you to Earth, will you be visiting the mortal?"

"I've been a little busy."

"Watching me?" He rolled his eyes, "I'm not a child. Honestly, it's insulting."

Thor sighed, "If I'm to be king, I must concentrate on official matters."

Raising an eyebrow, Loki laughed, "So, I'm an official matter? Flattering. But, do you really think you should ignore someone who showed affection towards you? Seems a tad unfair to a woman, whose life was in danger because of you," After seeing the look on Thor's face, he shrugged, "I'm just being honest."

"Does your charm attract women, brother?" Thor groaned, while taking a sip of his mead.

"Oh, yes, during my year with the Chitauri, I had my fill of eligible maidens." Loki joked, while wiggling his eyebrows.

For the first time in what seemed like years, they laughed together.

* * *

 

Kids loved Captain America. It was hard to walk anywhere, without seeing a child who carried a trash can top. They threw tennis balls at each other and deflected them with their shields. Servicemen also loved the American Hero. Since the world became aware of The Avengers, the captain's symbol had become one of the most popular tattoo to get.

So, it was especially hard for Natasha to not think about Steve. How could she avoid thoughts of him, when his face was everywhere? She was pretty sure the cashier, who had taken her order at a nearby coffee shop; looked at her strangely when she canceled her order abruptly. It may have been a little dramatic, but she couldn't carry a cup around that had the captain's face on it.

Luckily, Fury hadn't any assignments for her. The week off meant there was no need to go into SHIELD and she had done a lot of exercise at home. Steve had called a few times in the beginning of the week, but by now had stopped. He must have known she needed privacy. He was so understanding. How could he be, when she was betraying him?

What was wrong with her? She should have enjoyed the sex they had recently. She had before. How could she not? Steve was good looking, sweet, had a great personality, and an amazing body. Not to mention that he had grown, since their relationship began. So, why hadn't she felt anything the last time they were intimate? What had changed? What had went away?

Natasha clenched her fists. Loki. He had happened. The bastard took advance of her weaknesses. Of her primal needs. What was the god's obsession with her? She was just an agent doing her job, when she first approached him. It wasn't her fault that she was so good at what she did. She had gotten the information she needed from him, but she had ended up being manipulated.

She needed discipline. Needed a way to bring herself back to the way she was. The way she was before Loki had cracked her open. Natasha had made the mistake of having her defenses down, when she had confronted him in his cell. She was confident in her abilities and looked down on him. That mistake wouldn't be made again.

Natasha had finished working out in her basement. Like Steve, she owned a punching. There was no way she was going to SHIELD's gym. There was a chance of running into Steve. Right now, she couldn't handle that. He would look at her with his signature smile and kill her on the inside. Or she would run into Clint. The other agent had the burden of knowing exactly who she was. There would be no escaping his words of truth.

She had worked up a sweat. Her anger had gotten the best of her and her fingers were split open again. It didn't matter. She'd gladly have every part of her body burn away the memory of Loki. Natasha gritted her teeth, as her knuckles stung. Her adrenaline was coming down and her body had cooled down. Her sports bra and sweat shorts had seemed too hot while working out, but now her skin was pricking with coldness.

Upon opening her bedroom door, Natasha's grip on the doorknob tightened. Loki, who seemed to calmly be looking around her room; turned with a cool smile, "Why, Ms. Romanoff, you don't look well."

She felt as if she could break the doorknob off, "Get. Out."

"I find it strange that you haven't any pictures in your room. I'm surprised there's none of you and Barton. He is your friend, isn't he? Or you and Rogers. He...is your boyfriend, isn't he?" Loki smirked mockingly.

"You have a real hearing problem," The agent sneered, "Get the fuck out!"

Shaking his head, the god waved his finger at her, "Language, Natasha. Such profanity doesn't suit you."

Suddenly, anger returned to her body. Natasha felt all control go out the window, as she marched towards him, "Are you having fun, Loki? Are you enjoying this? Coming in here and fucking up my head? Good for you; you're the God of Mischief. Lies! You're bored in Asgard, so I'm suddenly your little project? I hope you're having fun!"

Loki was taken aback by her out burst. This certainly wasn't the reaction he expected from her. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "Why the sudden outrage?"

"Do you really want to know why?" Natasha let out a small laugh, "You're so fucked up. You know what I've been through. Have you no soul? I didn't have a childhood. I didn't live in a nice palace, with gold everywhere. I wasn't allowed to have friends. Eat good food. Be sheltered from harm. Have parents, who you claim were so neglectful; to love me!"

Emotions were suddenly running wild. Natasha felt things she hadn't in years and it was all coming out, "I was made to be a monster. A killing machine. Cold. Women grow up in this world, to enjoy growing up with friends, have a career, fall in love, and have children. My soul objective in life, was to kill. I can't remember the first time I've killed, because I was so young."

Her voice caught for a moment, before she continued, "Steve is a good man. A wonderful man. He underwent a procedure that could have killed him. All to protect others. He was the first one to ever make me feel like more than a monster. He let me know that I am a human being and I have the right to live my life! And throughout this little dance, as you call it; he's been understanding. Who the fuck would be understanding of their girlfriend ignoring their calls weeks at a time! He's a good guy and doesn't deserve this. He doesn't deserve to be betrayed by me! He's the man I deserve to be with! And yet...I can't feel for him. I'm a monster. I don't need some stuck up, spoiled brat, to rub that into my face."

Loki was silent. Natasha was breathing so heavy. She was so worked up. He hadn't expected that. Hadn't expected her to reveal so many emotions. She was so angry. Yet...he knew she was hiding the tears that were threatening to come out. In that moment, he felt as if her whole being had crumbled before him.

His Black Widow was crawling along his arm. He wouldn't swat her away. Loki felt his only breathing becoming weak and memories flashed before his eyes. Something she had said resonated in his mind. A monster. Weren't they all monsters just trying to hide their true nature? The Natasha Romanoff before him was neither cold nor angry. She was breaking.

Biting his lower lip, Loki found himself speaking involuntarily, "I'm sure you know that I'm not really an Asgardian. My...biological father is...his name is Laufey. His world is called Jotunheim. We call the race Frost Giants. I...am a Frost Giant. I wasn't told this until a year ago. My whole life I felt different. I wondered why I didn't look like my brother. Look like any of the other Asgardians. Why didn't I have the athletic capability others had? I was told nothing. It was only until Thor decided to drag us to Jotunheim that," Taking in a deep breath, the god looked at his hand, "I found out the truth."

Looking up, Loki asked, "Do you know what the Frost Giants are to Asgardians?"

"No."

"In Asgard, mothers don't tell their children about boogeymen. They're not told to check under the bed or look in the closet. Instead, they're told to lock their doors. Beware of the Frost Giants. The monsters..." His face dropped and Natasha heard the sadness in his voice, "I am that monster. I've hated the Frost Giants my whole life. Odin...and Frigga told me the same stories every parent did. I was afraid of them. I was so happy that I was part of a proud race, such as Asgard. And then I find out that...I am the monster I was afraid of this whole time."

Natasha stared at Loki. He seemed to be lost in his own world of sorrow. His memories that plagued his heart. The pain that stabbed his heart for so long. After a moment of silence, he turned back to her and she could see his moist eyes, "It just felt good breaking someone just as vulnerable."

She was broken. But, not because of Loki. She had been broken a long time ago. The girl that Natasha was suppose to be had been broken and built up as the Black Widow. The two were thrown into a world they didn't belong into. Told lies and accepted it as truth. How else were they supposed to react when their whole worlds had been turned upside down?

Loki stayed still. He was too preoccupied with his own thoughts, to notice Natasha walk over and gently wrap her arms around his neck. It was like a switch being turned on. He needed the physical touch. Needed to know there was another monster out there. Another prisoner in this war they called life.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he kissed her. Gently. Tenderly. Natasha wasn't aware he was capable of such kind gestures. It felt good, to be handled so tenderly. It was what her body needed. What her mind needed. Loki's lean fingers ran through her red hair and deepened the kiss. It was passionate, but slow. There was no biting. No scratching. This wasn't the Loki she had been intimate with before, but she still reacted to him.

As she breathed in, Loki slowly placed Natasha's body down on the bed. Her hands ran up and down his arms, as he gently pressed against her body. His left hand crawled down and pulled her leg up, but he didn't need to. She moved all on her own. With one hand in his hair and the other on his back, she arched her back to conform to his body.

Their breathing deepened, as they continued. Natasha began to pull off his jacket and slowly his lips made their way to her neck. How could she enjoy him so much, when he wasn't being aggressive? Hadn't that been the whole attraction to him all along? Oh, damn, she couldn't think of that now. Not while he was opening his mouth and sucking on the area that was most sensitive.

His lips left her body once, to pull off his shirt. They kissed briefly, before pulling off her sports bra. With her breasts exposed, Loki bent down and took one in his mouth. Heat was shooting through her body. She could feel her void tightening up. As his tongue lapped at her nipple, her hands crawled to pull down his pants. She was moving so freely. Without a care. She wanted him.

Missing her lips, Loki pulled up to push his mouth against hers. As the two slowed into a passionate kiss, he hooked his fingers under her pants and pulled both her panties and sweats down. His own pants soon decorated the floor, before he was in her. Unlike the first two times, he didn't enter her violently. There was no ferocity. No anger. Rather, he eased in. Asked her to push in, begged for her permission.

Permission she gladly allowed. Loki scooped his arms under Natasha's body and pulled her up more. Her leg hooked onto his waist and rolled her hips along with his. Somehow, she needed him to be in her more. Needed to feel his bare skin against hers. Her hands roamed his body and never once scratched it. She had thought his nails would dig in, but they hadn't. Like her, he just wanted to feel her skin.

Loki pulled up her arms and gently held her wrists down, above her head; while speeding up. He stared down and the look on her face almost stopped him. Natasha was so beautiful. When he had first attacked Earth, he had thought down on the race. Then slowly he had begun developing an attraction to the Black Widow. Both inside and out. Her out burst had opened him up and left him exposed. The two were able to catch the other.

Natasha finished and he knew he was close. Pushing her right leg up with his knee, Loki pushed in deep and slowly pulled out. Then repeated himself. The pressure was building up and he needed release. His breathing was shaky and his thrusts weren't uniformed. With a moan from the agent, the god pulled out and released himself.

Their breathing was still heavy, as Loki plopped next to Natasha. They hadn't been aggressive towards each other, yet this may have been the most intense sex they had had. They both felt vulnerable. Exposed. For the first time they realized they were naked, in a bed together. Where to go from now? What to do now?

After his breathing settled, Loki looked over to see Natasha had done the same. Her bright eyes were staring into his. There was no need to say anything. All he needed to do was pull her forward and kiss her. That was all he needed, to get her to wrap her arms around his waist. No words and no body movements. They were still. The only sound Natasha heard was the beating of the god's hearts. As she felt herself slipping into sleep, she realized something.

This had been the first time she had ever spent a night with a man.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last Chapter in the story!

Natasha didn't watch cable television often. Most programs were trash and there was only so much of the weather channel she could take. So, the agent was pretty surprised when she decided to watch Sex and the City. SHIELD had been particularly slow and she had already worked out. None of her books appealed to her in that moment and she wasn't about to watch a man eat bugs.

There was a lot of stupidity she didn't understand, but there was something she could relate to. It just happened to be season three on. Natasha wasn't sure if she completely grasped the characters, but she understood that Carried was cheating on Aiden with Mr. Big. In retrospect, it looked like Aiden might be the better choice. It took a long time for the columnist to realize what she needed to do, but eventually she revealed her affair to her boyfriend.

It was time for Natasha to come clean. It was clear that she had feelings for Loki. He was the first person she had ever allowed to stay the night. She hadn't kicked him out and she hadn't walked out. In fact she had wanted to be near him. It felt good to lay in his arms and feel his heart beat against her ear drum.

It was wrong. As a member of the Avengers, she should have never gotten involved with the god. He had tried to destroy two worlds, attempted to kill all of them, and was successful in ending Agent Coulson's life. They had never gone out on a date and there was no way in hell she could ever let others know. Not that anyone besides him knew of her relationship with Steve.

Still, there was no denying herself. Had she ever been a noble person? She had been trained as the ultimate assassin. She had done unspeakable things and killed more people than she could count. Natasha should have known she could never be with someone as noble as the captain. She had fooled herself long enough. How could he ever understand?

Which was why she was outside Steve Roger's apartment. This couldn't last any longer. It was unfair. It seemed infidelity was quite common amongst relationships, but she wouldn't allow that. If she were to even open herself up to being with someone, it would be him only. Sighing almost nervously, Natasha reached out and knocked. The agent couldn't remember the last time she felt anxious. That feeling was foreign to her. But, it had been a week since she had even seen the soldier and their last encounter hadn't gone very well.

After a moment, the doorknob turned. Natasha could successfully say that this was probably the first time her heart pounded anxiously. She had been in many battles, stared death in the face, and had seen things most others couldn't fathom. Yet, she dreaded being face to face with the captain. Especially when Steve opened the door with wet hair and no shirt. She needed to remember who she was and not give into her basic instincts. Doing that was what got her into the situation she was in.

The Black Widow's presence seemed to put a smile on Steve's face, as he greeted, "Hey, Natasha."

Shit. Why was he so nice? He should have slammed the door in her face and told her to never come back. Though, why would he? To him, Natasha was his girlfriend who was dedicated to her job. Faking a smile, she finally spoke, "Hi, Steve. May I come in?"

"Of course."

He seemed all too happy to let her in. Happy to offer her a drink. Happy to have her in his apartment. If she were any other girl she was sure he would have even hugged her. That probably upset her even more. He knew her well enough to know she wouldn't like that kinda of greeting. Natasha knew that if she didn't stop him, she would never do what she needed, "Steve...we need to talk."

How cliché was that?

Steve was in the middle of pouring a drink, when Natasha spoke those played out words. It was obvious he knew what was coming, by the way he slowly set down the pitcher of water. The captain may have been from another time, but he knew what that phrase meant. Inside she was cursing herself for using that phrase, but what else could she say?

Sticking his hands in his pants pockets, he walked around the kitchen counter and asked, "What's on your mind?"

This was it. Taking in a deep breath, Natasha began, "I wanted to apologize for kicking you out last week."

"Oh, don't," He waved her off with a smile, "You had a mission."

"No, I didn't. I lied."

This seemed to confuse the captain. He furrowed his brow in confusion, before looking back at her, "Why?"

Natasha frowned, "I don't know how to be in a relationship. At first, we were just friends who had sex. And I really wanted to explore this world with you. But...I'm not sure I can handle it. It became too hard for me. Too overwhelming. You're a great person and it would be nice to continue dating you. I tried to deny myself, but this isn't who I am. I am Natasha Romanoff. The Black Widow. I can't do this to you anymore."

Steve's words swam through his head. She hadn't really skated around the point. It was honest. It was something that she hadn't been with him in a while. And although she had killed plenty and probably destroyed dozens of families, this was the first time she was actually afraid to hurt someone. The captain had treated her nicer than anyone had before. It was just her luck that she couldn't accept his generosity. No, she had to care for someone like Loki.

Steve slowly sat on the edge of the bed and sighed, "I...kinda knew this was coming."

"Really?" Now she was even more upset that her inner turmoil had been able to be so easily detected.

"Yea," He nodded, "You seemed distant. I knew you were trying. I just wanted you to feel human."

He really was taking this better than she thought. Taking a seat next to him, Natasha asked hesitantly, "So...are...are you okay? I don't really know what the protocol for this is."

At this he smiled, "You really helped me, Natasha. I've really enjoyed the time we spent together. I feel I'm a little more ready for this world now." He didn't want her beating herself up.

"I did...I do...care...I just can't."

Steve frowned, "I know."

"So...you're going to be okay? With your love life?"

"I...I think so. I feel more confident. Thanks to you." He grinned over at her.

Well that was a relief. With a small smile, she turned to him, "Thank you."

Steve smiled while grabbing a hold of the redhead's hand, "Hey, I can't be upset. I'm happy to say I was able to be that close to you. To get to know you better. But, are you going to be okay?"

At this she raised her eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"Well, I feel I've grown. I'm going to be able to go out and...maybe one day I'll meet the right girl, but...what about you? Will you ever be able to find true happiness?"

 

* * *

 

Natasha thought about Steve's question all day. He had taken the break up remarkably well. There was no way that she wanted to hurt him. It was almost a relief that he had understood. She wasn't quite sure how she would react if he had been too upset. The captain was a great man and deserved to find a woman who didn't doubt her feelings for him. He was such a kind man that he expressed his want to still be friends. To still go out for drinks. They were Avengers and they needed to stay together. In a way it felt nice to know she had a friend other than Clint.

In another way it crushed her. Steve was going to be able to move on with his life. The captain may have not had much luck with women in his time, but she was sure he would be able to find someone in this time. With her help. Natasha had found that he indeed grew. He had become more confident and with his good looks and kind personality, he wouldn't have a problem finding a woman.

But, would she be okay? Even though he had just been broken up with, Steve still took the time to be concerned about her well being. She must have been a masochist to throw him away. Sure, they had had a great time together and had great sex, couldn't she be with him? No, that would be wrong. To both of them.

Natasha had known she had done the right thing. It was nice to know that she had been able to do something noble. Being an Avenger wasn't righteous enough for her. Sure, she had saved Earth from certain destruction, but it was all in a day's work. She was a trained agent working for SHIELD, where she used the same skills she did when she was an assassin. Whether it was Chitauri warriors or human beings, she was killing.

Being deep in thought, Natasha had somehow ended up in Central Park. Of course she had noticed her surroundings while driving, but realization of where she exactly was hadn't dawned on her until her mind stopped spinning. Steve and her had enjoyed themselves in this park once upon a time. But, Natasha wasn't that nostalgic of a person.

It was a nice day. The sun was shinning and she felt the warmth of the rays against her skin. It was almost enough to make her forget about what had just happened. She was alone in a secluded area of the park. Just her and her thoughts. Natasha could only hope that Fury had a mission for her soon, so that she could forget her feelings.

"Did you break up with him?"

She recognized the voice that broke her silence. Glancing over, she saw Loki standing beside her. How he knew where she was didn't matter. He was the God of Mischief after all. A sorcerer. What she did muse over was his attire. No Asgardian clothing or warrior armor. Rather he dawned a more Midgardian attire; probably in case someone walked by.

"Yes."

Loki's face was still; unreadable. His hands were tucked into his black pants pockets, as he shifted a tad uncomfortably. After clearing his throat, he asked, "How did he take it?"

Her eyes flicked up for a moment, before answering, "Better than I thought."

"Does that upset you?"

"Yes."

He would be lying if he said he knew how to read women. Natasha wasn't open with her feelings and neither was he. Not really knowing what to say in that moment, Loki went to take a seat next to her. He hadn't been able to get her out of his mind. No one had been able to break through as well as she had. Had been able to make him come to terms with his emotions. She had spoken and he had listened. And when he spoke, she listened.

Loki had thought he had the upper hand. Making her give in to her primal needs and show her true colors had been fun for him. That was until she forced him to show his true colors. He didn't want to enjoy lying next to her, but he had. In fact he relished in the feeling. Yearned to feel her body next to him. It was the first time he ever felt...whole.

"Why?"

Natasha's eyes shifted over to the god, who was waiting patiently. No pressure. No judgment. Just a fellow outcast, who hadn't any idea how to be normal. Looking forward, she explained, "He knew something was wrong. He was able to read me. He wasn't upset at all."

Confused, he asked, "Had you wanted him to react more distraught?"

"No," She shook her head, "I'm happy he will be able to go on with his life."

Silence fell upon them again. Neither knew exactly what to say. Natasha hadn't expected there to be a softer side to Loki. She hadn't exploded on him to gain pity or to crack him open, she had just broken. She was surprised to see that there was something deeper to the god than what was just on the surface. In essence they were one in the same.

Looking over at him, Natasha's lips tightened, "No one could ever know we are together."

Her words shocked him. The honesty and boldness of her statement. Before their little dance had even begun, Loki had thrown away the thought of even having a female companion. He envisioned himself as a ruler and the idea of a queen felt intangible. A woman could slow him down and he doubted he'd even find one to share his passion.

Loki knew if they were to continue whatever this was that no one could ever know. He had committed crimes that weren't going to be so easily forgiven. And while the sorcerer was ready to admit his love for Thor and Odin, he couldn't promise he would give up his devious ways. This had been the way he always was and he couldn't predict his next course of action.

For now it seemed Natasha had changed her ways. She would continue to justify her primal urges by working with SHIELD. They would continue to be on the opposite end of what was right and what was wrong. While she may have been the kind of woman that didn't care what others thought of her, he knew how big of a deal it would be if others found out.

"I don't care," He finally spoke, "I just want to be with whom I love."

Natasha glanced over at him. His face was serious and still. After looking him over, she admitted, "Me too."


End file.
